“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

— Matthew 5:9

J. John, an evangelist and speaker from the United Kingdom, has said there are two reasons why someone is not a Christian. The first is that they have never met a Christian and have not heard of Jesus. The second is that they have met a Christian but the experience was negative. How we engage and live our lives matters. What if someone is looking for us to be a person of peace? Do our actions show that we know the love of God in Christ? In a world that has become increasingly focused on the self, we may need to be reminded that, as Jesus suggests, perhaps our blessing comes from living with a new attitude that seeks to share his peace with others. There is a story about a teacher who went to visit a young boy in the burn unit of a hospital. Wearing a mask and a sterile gown, she explained that she would be helping him with verbs and adverbs over the next few days. Instead of concentrating on his pain, she gave him hope that perhaps life wasn’t over yet. The staff at the hospital were amazed at the difference that made in the boy. His recovery and motivation to live suddenly changed. He said later, “After all, they wouldn’t send a special teacher to teach verbs and adverbs to a dying boy, would they?” We too have the power to offer someone hope. Who needs you to be a person of peace for them?

Dear God, teach us how to be the people you have called us to be. Help us to see others’ needs and to give them hope. In Jesus, Amen.