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

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5: 9, 14-16 (NIV)

Here we all seem to be, in a world at the moment full of uncertainty.

A world too full of violence.

And a world much too full of darkness.

Wouldn’t it be a blessing for peacemakers from somewhere to step up, and change the setting from anger and hate to discussion and love? And for lights to begin to shine in the darkness pointing to a better way.

But from where will that come, or from where should it come?

Read those scriptures again from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount—

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

And then Christ’s imperative—

“You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others…”

Thirty-five years ago in 1985, with a deadly famine engulfing Africa, Quincey Jones, Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson gathered talented artists from around the nation to participate in raising up funds along with helping hands, to stem the rising death toll on that continent, by producing the song—“We Are the World.”

Then in 2010 the same song, with numerous additional talented artists, was released to again raise funds and helping hands, to assist in lifting Haiti out of the devastation of the earthquake which hit that island country.

Here are some of those words from that song calling for help and change—

“There comes a time, when we heed a certain call,
When the world must come together as one.
There are people dying,
And it’s time to lend a hand to life, the greatest gift of all.

We are the world, we are the children,
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.

There’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives,
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.
We’re all a part of God’s great big family,
And the truth, you know—love is all we need.

We are the world, we are the children,
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.”

It’s a world at the moment too full of uncertainty.

A world too full of violence.

And a world much too full of darkness.

And it seems like we have some options and opportunities before us.

But maybe even more than that—some responsibilities.

Here’s the truth, my friends—the world needs you and me, and others everywhere, to step forward as peacemakers. To make a difference—one-by-one.

And in that journey to shine our light allowing it to break through the darkness and uncertainty in the lives and the world around us.

I am certain, that in that journey—God will go with us.

In His Name–Scott