Every Good Gift: A 28-Day Advent DevotionalSample

What does it mean to be a peacemaker? What does it look like to “seek peace and pursue it”?

Like with many things, we can observe the life of Jesus for an example of what it looks like to live out His good news in tangible and impactful ways. When we look to the life of Jesus, he was all about building relationships with people on the margins of society. Looking out for those who were forgotten or systemically excluded. Standing up for the vulnerable. Setting this right in the face of oppression or injustice.

For Jesus, bringing peace wasn’t about maintaining the status quo or doing the bare minimum as not to rock the boat. Instead, Jesus boldly and tenaciously pursued peace where it was most needed—amongst the poor, vulnerable, marginalized and oppressed in society.

The Guajajara are an Indigenous tribe in Brazil. Pastor Jairo and his wife Geane have lived and worked in the Guajajara community for over 16 years. They are non-Indigenous, and the Guajajara people are typically wary of outsiders due to the history of colonization. But Pastor Jairo and Geane’s relationship with Cacique Magno, a local leader, and the rest of the Guajajara people is a beautiful example of a bold pursuit of peace that is rooted in relationship and compassion for the most vulnerable.

“Indigenous communities remain marginalized from society,” says Pastor Jairo. As a Compassion church partner, Pastor Jairo’s church serves children and families living in poverty, helping them learn and preserve their culture, sharing Christ's love with them and giving them opportunities to break free from poverty.

“At the centre, children learn to be proud of our culture while learning Portuguese and a little of [non-Indigenous] culture,” says Cacique Magno. “Geane always promotes activities on the National Day of the Indigenous Person and helps us with the festivities of our tribe.”

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be peacemakers. To cultivate peace in the world around us boldly and compassionately, building relationships and standing up for those suffering under the weight of poverty and injustice. What does that look like in your life? What actions can you take to cultivate peace in the world around you? Reflect on this on your own or with a trusted friend today!

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for Your invitation to be a peacemaker, to join You in your mission of peace and reconciliation here on earth. Holy Spirit, I pray that You would empower me with the boldness, courage and strength to be a peacemaker, to seek peace and pursue it. Open my eyes to opportunities to live out the good news and cultivate peace in the world around me. Amen.