When I used to read the passage, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9), I thought of grand historical figures—world leaders negotiating treaties, the Pope, or great figures like Gandhi. I saw peacemaking as a monumental, public act reserved for a select few.
But over time, I’ve realized that Jesus was not limiting his words to those in positions of power. On the contrary, he was pointing to the everyday, often unnoticed, work of peacemaking. I think of the mother who teaches her children to resolve disputes through discussion, not fisticuffs, or my elderly grandmother who always found a way to find a peaceful solution for the family or the neighborhood. These quiet, foundational acts prevent small conflicts from becoming large ones.
The list of these unsung peacemakers is endless: teachers who calm a chaotic classroom, mentors who guide a heated discussion back to respectful dialogue, or simple folk who, by their very presence, bring calm to a room, not tension. These are the people who repair the small tears in our social fabric, and their work is just as holy as any world summit.
Lately, I’ve had lots of reasons for irritability and a quick temper, but no good ones. In those moments, I have to draw on my memories of the people I’ve known and admired who always reduced tension and acted as peacemakers. I have to remind myself that the most important peacemaking work often begins within, by choosing to calm the unrest in my own spirit before it spills out into the world.
This brings me to the conclusion of the verse: the reward for these quiet, daily acts is not worldly recognition, but a divine inheritance—to be “called children of God.” This isn’t a title reserved for a select few; it’s a blessing offered to all who commit to the practice of peace. By choosing to reduce tension rather than create it, you are not just mimicking the people you admire; you are embodying a core principle of faith. The greatest stage for peacemaking is not a global conference, but the small, often unseen, landscape of your own life. It is there, in your efforts to calm your own spirit and be a gentle presence for others, that you truly become a child of God.
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