Editorial September 30, 1911 Issue

PEACEMAKERS

Annie M. Knott

The sermon on the mount begins with the beatitudes, every one of which is a sermon in itself. The seventh of these beatitudes, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God," touches both directly and indirectly upon all the high spiritual teachings of the Bible and explains the failure or success of human experience in every age. Peace is unquestionably a spiritual condition, a characteristic of the divine government, yet it is the privilege of humanity to bring it into manifestation, else were there no need of peacemakers. In the nineteenth chapter of Luke we are told that on the occasion of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when he drew near to the city he looked down upon it from the mount of Olives, and wept over it, saying, "If thou hadst known, ... the things which belong to thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." The lesson of that hour is for us at every step of the way, and if we understand the things which make for peace, we shall have peace both within and without.

Coming back to the beatitudes, we discover that this one has a promise attached which gives it preeminence over the others. The "pure in heart" are to see God, but the peacemakers are to be called "the children of God,"—a high honor surely, and the important consideration is how it may be attained. In Isaiah we read that the Christ-idea first appears to human sense as a child,—"Unto us a child is born;" and this idea is no less mighty than meek, for it expresses the nature of "The mighty God, The everlasting Father;" the government rests upon his shoulder, and he is to be known as "The Prince of Peace." The prophet adds that there shall be no end to the peace thus established, and when we come to the days of Christ Jesus we find its perpetuity insured in his emphatic declaration, "My peace I give unto you"!

When we analyze the qualities of the peace to which Christ Jesus refers as "my peace," we find that it is inseparable from judgment and justice. It does not bring peace to evil, but destroys it; yet here is to be found a vital lesson for every Christian Scientist. If we are to be peacemakers, we must take every problem to the wonderful "Counselor" of whom Isaiah speaks, then we shall know how to deal with it so that we shall be indeed worthy of this name. When the great Teacher sent out his students to preach the gospel and heal the sick, he instructed them to declare peace for each house (or consciousness) which they entered, and if that house were not worthy, the command was, "Let your peace return to you." Peace must not be lost,—one must not be so disturbed by the rejection of the truth as to lose his own sense of its presence. He must be ready to receive the dove which comes back with the olive branch and wait for the assuaging of the waters.

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