One of the greatest sermons ever preached occurred on a hillside in Galilee. Jesus preached the well-known Sermon on the mount to a large crowd that followed him. One version of the sermon is recorded in Matthew 5-7. It is not a very long sermon by today’s standards. In fact, it is shorter than most TedTalks.

But I have been pondering a verse in that sermon where Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” (5:9). What strikes me about this verse is that I think most of us have confused peacemaking with peacekeeping.

I do believe there is a need for both. Our communities need help in keeping the peace. Our church, along with other communities of faith here in Woodland were blessed with officers from the Woodland Police Department joining us in our houses of worship. We are most grateful for the work they do to keep peace in our city.

But there is something fundamentally different about making peace between people. There are many nuances and complexities that are at work when trying to make peace.

For example, if your two children are arguing, fighting, and generally not getting along—most parents will take some action to try and bring about peace.

Sometimes, out of frustration, a parent may just take the steps of keeping peace by “forcing” the children to apologize to one another. In fact, I know of a parent that would make my friend and his brother sit on the couch with their arms around each other for 60 minutes. No talking was allowed. Was that peacekeeping or was that peacemaking?

I hope that I’m not saying that one is better than the other. What I am hoping to communicate is that Jesus calls his followers to do more than keep peace. He invites us to go further. In more cases than not, peacemaking takes longer and it also requires some vulnerability, which our culture (dare I even say our political climate?) does NOT view positively. We strive in this country for efficiency and speed.

Peacemaking doesn’t “usually” allow for that! We as USAmericans worship the god of speed and instant results. Peacemakers have a hard time competing in that kind of environment.

I believe I witnessed a truly peacemaking event several weeks ago in a park in Woodland. Folks from different cultures, faith, and background, gathered to celebrate peace in this town. Folks from our city council and education departments joined with our fire and police departments to eat and fellowship and to celebrate peace: TOGETHER!

I saw joy, laughter, and peace. I enjoyed authentic Pakistani food. I talked with police officers and people from other faiths. The event was more than a peacekeeping event. I witnessed peacemaking! What I experienced was what I think Jesus had in mind when he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.”

Mike Umbenhaur, pastor at Woodland Presbyterian Church