THE GIFT OF PEACE

Stafford Greer, Lead Site Pastor

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” - John 14:27 NIV

If I’m honest with myself, I am less peaceful than I would like to be. Things can rattle me - especially events that are outside of my control (which is honestly, almost everything, even if I like to think I have control over a situation or a person). I can feel agitated when a situation doesn’t pan out the way I was expecting it to, or when someone reacts negatively to an idea or plan I have, or when the world at large feels so overwhelmingly out of control.

This past week Charlie Kirk, founder of the right-wing political advocacy group Turning Point USA, was assassinated while on campus at Utah Valley University. His murder has sent ripples throughout the United States, Canada, and the world; coming at a time where political division, hateful rhetoric, and villainization of anyone who is not part of your tribe is increasing and being amplified (and exaggerated) by social media. Responses have been quick, accusatory, fearful, and hate-filled from across the political and faith spectrum.

Bad-faith voices will seek to leverage this heinous and tragic killing as a ‘call-to-arms’ against anyone who they view as an enemy: democrats, republicans, liberals, conservatives, Christians, atheists, ethnic groups - whomever! News outlets, media companies, social media influencers will all do their best to stir up fear and anger in your heart towards the people that you think are enemies.

To be fair, this happens not just with Kirk’s assasination, but with everything: political decisions, movies and art, foreign policies, books, renewable energy, different faiths, cultures, and ethnicities. What is a Christian to do when we are barraged daily with attempts to stir up hate and fear against our neighbours?

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” - Jesus (Matthew 5:43-45)

But what does love look like? And who is my neighbour?

In an attempt to sidestep the subversive teaching of Jesus, a teacher of religious law asked Jesus those same questions (see Luke 10:25-37) and Jesus' response was one that applies to all of us today: love moves us in compassion towards a hurting and broken world.

We see this in Jesus’ life:

• For God so loved the world, he sent his son (John 3:16-17)

• God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for us and reconciled us to him. (Romans 5:8-10)

• When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)

• Clear teachings on loving enemies, blessing those who curse us, turning the cheek to those who strike us, blessing peacemakers (Matthew 5-7)

• Rejecting violence towards attackers (Matthew 26:52)

• Forgiving the people actively murdering him: “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34)

The early church was marked by radical love for enemies, which was one of the reasons for its explosive growth in the first few hundred years after Jesus’ death (for a great sociological read on this topic, I recommend Rodney Stark’s book, The Rise of Christianity).

Taking Jesus’ teachings on peacemaking and love for enemies seriously, the Christian sect known as Mennonites were relentlessly persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church and Protestants alike during the reformation period of the 1500s and beyond. One man, Dirk Willems, in 1569, was being chased by a thief catcher to arrest him for his faith. As Dirk came to a body of water still coated with ice, he began to run across to escape.

After making his way across in great peril, he realized his pursuer had fallen through into the freezing water. Turning back, Dirk ran to the struggling man and dragged him safely to shore at which time he was promptly arrested by the man whom he pulled from the water; sent to prison, interrogated, and tortured in an unsuccessful effort to make him renounce his faith. Dirk was sentenced to death by burning.

In the face of arrest, torture, and death, Dirk demonstrated love towards his enemy by saving him. Dirk paid with his life, but his testimony of love for Jesus through love of neighbour has produced countless fruit in the Kingdom of God as others are drawn to salvation through this practice of love of neighbour (and enemy!).

Jesus’ command for us to love our enemies is an impossible task on our own. We simply do not have the capacity to do so. But because Jesus is faithful, he gives us his Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us, changes our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh, gives us peace that passes understanding, and satiates our desire for justice by promising that "'vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19).

Let us grieve that an image bearer of God chose to take the life of another image bearer of God.

Let us pray that the God of peace gives peace to Erika Kirk and their children in their grief.

Let us pray that our hearts do not grow callous towards others.

Let us pray that we may represent God’s love to a hurting and broken world through our words and actions.

Let us pray, “come Lord Jesus.”

Grace and Peace to you.