Revd. Julia Lall – 1st March 2026
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ Matthew 5.9
Today we are faced with a defining moment in world history.
A war has erupted, and people are struggling to find their moral footing.
There is fear, anger and confusion
In the last 48 hours we’ve been bombarded with the words of war :
– epic fury, revenge, evil, oppression, force, death, violence, crushing, destroying………
But Jesus said: Blessed are the peacemakers.
- Not the peacekeepers.
- Not the warmakers.
- Not the people who stay quiet to keep the powerful comfortable.
Peacemaking is active, courageous, and brings about justice.
The American historian and WW2 veteran, Howard Zinn wrote this:
“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people. You cannot justify the mass killing of people by simply calling them the enemy. They are human beings… When governments wage war, they turn living, breathing human beings into abstractions on a map. And once they are abstractions, it becomes easier to destroy them.”
We might find his words powerful or controversial, but perhaps they help us to re-centre ourselves on our basic humanity, made in the image of God, and our basic human rights of dignity, safety, protection and shelter.
Perhaps they helps us to reframe the narrative of war and to think about the impact on ordinary, peaceful, righteous /right-living people:
- Families in Iran waking to explosions.
- Soldiers being sent into danger without a clear justification.
- Children whose futures will be impacted by decisions beyond their control.
- Ordinary people like us, going about their everyday lives.
Warmaking uses fear to justify violence.
Fear is a tool of warmakers.
Fear escalates, and threatens to overwhelm.
But Jesus calls us to choose peace. He calls us to be peacemakers.
Peacemaking means telling the truth and protecting the vulnerable.
The tool of peacemakers is love, and we know that love overcomes.
We may feel utterly overwhelmed and helpless this morning,
so together we turn to Jesus the Prince of Peace.
We fix our eyes on him,
We bring this situation to him,
And we lay our fears, our doubts and our uncertainty at the foot of the cross.
Today let us reclaim our core Christian values of compassion, justice and care for our neighbour;
Let us refuse to use or accept dehumanizing language.
Let us advocate for diplomacy, for peace talks, for integrity of leadership, and for deep listening.
We reject the idea that violence is the only way and we commit to speaking the truth of the gospel even when it feels risky.
Peacemaking begins with us.
It begins in our own communities, homes and workplaces.
How we care for each other is how we resist the narrative of violence.
Let us not be the ones who stay quiet or who choose violence.
Let us be the ones who choose compassion, justice, and courage in a world that is bruised and broken.
Jesus said: Blessed are the peacemakers.
Today, let it begin with us. Amen
A Prayer for Peace (Mothers Union)
Almighty God,
we pray for Your mercy in the midst of strife and war.
Where nations face violence and retaliation, grant wisdom to leaders,
comfort to the fearful, relief to the suffering, and protection to the innocent.
Strengthen and uphold families living in fear and uncertainty.
Turn the hearts of all peoples from violence to reconciliation,
that Your peace may prevail in the Middle East and throughout the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen