BE A PEACE-MAKER

 

This Sunday our second reading (from the Letter of James) offers us a stimulating image for the Christian life: ^“ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace” (James 3,18)

 

The people who walk with Jesus, seek to implement his vision and share with all they meet the very mercy of God will take the image of planting a garden of peace and use it in their spiritual reflections. An old image can generate new insights.

 

When you plant a garden in the springtime you are planning to get definite results in August and September. 

 

Plant the seeds of respect to all your fellow employees who are different from you in terms of race, gender, language and age. See in each person the very image of God. If the other with whom I work is of such great value by God’s creation, how can I not value them and rejoice in their existence? 

 

Sow the seeds of mercy over the mistakes that you have made in life and that others have made. Take each of their mistakes, hold the mistake in your hand and bless their failures with mercy. Your brother who is struggling with drug addiction, and had fallen off the wagon twice, needs the mercy of understanding. His decisions for sobriety may be very good, but the addiction can do a real job on his efforts. Mercy is lived in patience and understanding for the good will of your own brother.

 

You want to plant seeds that will break the violence and hard-heartedness that so often destroys our trust in one another. We pray to move into forgiveness and healing of the brokenness that  cripples our lives. May the seeds of forgivness produce the ointment of healing.

 

You need to plant the seeds of sincerity in all the words you  speak and all the decisions you make. Sincerity does not mean that we avoid the tough issues or avoid risking conflict and misunderstanding. Sincerity is always trying to do the right thing, even when it is very tough o accomplish. Sincerity means that we do not cut any corners in our relationships with others.

 

And then there is the constant weeding: pull out all selfishness, all excuse making and all the deep rooted weeds in our lives. Pull out all indifference to the pain and suffering of others. Weeding is hard work. 

 

Last of all, water frequently with water. When the soil is dry, nothing can grow and mature. Water is to your garden of peace-planting what love is to your Christiaan life. Water your peace garden often.

 

This may be a well-worn image, but it is very stimulating to place yourself as the gardener. What are you sowing in peace? What are you reaping from the peace you have planted?