“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." ~ Matthew 5:9
Red Cloud
and White Cloud, twin Iroquois boys, jumped into fresh snowdrifts until their
bronze bodies took on a raspberry tint. Once
the track was properly prepared, they’d launch their snow snakes skimming
across the hard-crusted snow.
Snow snakes are sticks hand-carved from
hickory and polished smooth with oil or wax.
One end of the snake is curved upwards; the other end notched making it
easier to throw. The object is to throw your
snake the farthest distance along a smooth trough made in the snow.
Their father, Long Moose, could throw
his snow snakes nearly a quarter mile over the icy track. But his were eight feet long and tipped with
lead. Theirs were merely 36”.
Each boy won 3 times. The seventh and deciding throw was a draw;
each claimed victory. The tie sparked a
heated quarrel for the prized courtship opportunity.
Arguing quickly led to brawling.
Their mother broke from her cooking
chores to intervene. She calmly requested
that the boys bring their snakes. Rather
than breaking them over her knee (as my father would have done), she showed
them how to stand four snakes against each into what resembled a small teepee.
Leave your anger here she
instructed. Return after the next full
moon. If they lean toward the sun, Red
Cloud wins. If they lean toward the
setting sun, then White Cloud won. If
they fell down, neither one of you is worthy of Spotted Fawn’s company.
After the moon had risen many times,
the boy returned to the woods. They
gazed down at a heap of fallen sticks.
“What did we set up those sticks for?”
asked White Cloud. “Can’t remember,”
responded Red Cloud as they retrieved their snakes and resumed playing.
In Hebrew scripture, the word usually
translated “peace” is shalom. This word
means much more than not being at war. It
can also be translated “salvation” or “fullness.” Peacemakers are those who work to end
conditions that constrict others’ lives.
The world so badly needs to hear the
message of wholeness, of shalom, of the peace God wants for all of us. Injustice, violence, economic and sexual
exploitation, slavery in all its forms, and all the omissive evils that we see
every day spring from a lust for power over others and greed.
Peacemakers implies this is not a task
for any one of us alone. Peacemaking is
active. It’s not enough to pray for
peace or to try to live peaceably. We
must also work for justice, investing ourselves in our communities for the good
of all.
God of all humanity, help us to live Your
vision of reaching out and healing our broken world through the actions that
personify the values of the eternal garden where Your will is being done. Amen
