Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. – Matthew 5:9

In this high charged political season it is hard to imagine being a “peacemaker”. The words “fundamental difference” rang very loud to me as I tried to think about how you could make peace between two enemies. Yet there is a charge to each of us in this beatitude. We’re called to be coffee beans….

I wrote a post a little over a year ago called “Carrots, Eggs and Coffee Beans“. Actually, I was just sharing a story I had found. I can’t take credit for it as it is a great analogy and a real picture of how you and I can be peacemakers. In short, it’s what happens when you boil carrots, eggs and coffee beans.

When you boil carrots, they become soft. The heat of the water changed the carrot from being strong to being soft and weak. The egg was fragile when it was exposed to the hot water, but became hardened on the inside. What about the coffee beans you ask? They changed the water around them. Although they were exposed to the same elements, they did not differ, they did not change, they changed the water around them.

Being a peacemaker takes place in two ways. We begin by living a life at peace with others. Our challenge is to create environments where conflict can be resolved. As we create these environments, we can change those around us. Our example of lives lived as peacemakers can also encourage others around us and create environments where peace can be achieved. Even when we have “fundamental differences”.

Day Eight: Persecuted