PEACE MAKERS
In the 4th century A.D., there was a Christian monk named Telemachus who felt led by God to, "Go to Rome!" Upon arriving in the bustling city, he saw a throng of excited citizens rushing through the streets toward the Coliseum. Puzzled he asked, “What’s going on?” to a young boy, who replied joyfully, “The gladiators are fighting today!” Telemachus thought to himself, “Huh, four centuries of Christian faith, and still they’re killing each other for entertainment?” As he entered the stadium, the gladiators were shouting, "Hail to Caesar, we die for Caesar!", and he was convicted that he must stop this barbarism. Wearing the meager clothing of a poor peasant, he threw himself over the railing into the arena, walked out into the middle of the stadium, and began chastising the two competing warriors, for shedding innocent blood. Then he held up his hands, crying out, "In the name of Christ, forbear!"
But the crowd just screamed angrily with one voice, "Run him through, Run him through!" So, one of the fighters violently struck him with the back of his sword, sending him forcefully into the sandy field of battle. Slowing making his way to his feet again, he cried aloud, "In the name of Christ, forbear!" To which the cruel mob replied, “This is no place for preaching! – On gladiators!”, [who], enraged at the interference of an outsider with their chosen vocation, at once stabbed him to death… along with the stones that were raining down upon him from the furious people! (Foxe 48)”
However, Telemachus did not die in vain that day, because as this ghastly scene was unfolding, a hush began to settle upon the Coliseum, and gradually, one by one, the once bloodthirsty crowd began to have a change of heart, and they arose disgusted and left the stadium, never to return again. “From the day that Telemachus fell dead in the Coliseum, no other fight of gladiators was ever held there again. (Foxe 49)”
Telemachus, was a valiant peacemaker, in keeping with the ministry of Jesus Christ, who said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God! (NKJV Matt 5:9)” At great risk to himself and his future, he had the courage, humility, and spiritual maturity to stand up for what was right, in the face of dreadful consequences, but his sacrifice brought lasting peace and abundant fruitfulness. Oh how we need peacemakers in the church today! Those valiant and courageous ministers who are able to bring a calm to any storm or deescalate a crisis situation, rather than make it worse by adding their own fuel to the fire.
Consider all of the trials and conflicts that confront the modern church today; i.e. power struggles, moral scandals, financial pitfalls, personality clashes, and disagreements concerning the future vision of the church and how to accomplish that vision. There are no shortages of circumstances in which conflict could not easily erupt, if not handled in a godly and Spirit-led manner. Acknowledging this possibility is perhaps one of the more important aspects of avoiding conflict and as, “Martin Luther taught us… Christians are amazing creatures - at one and the same time justified and sinful… What a freeing message that is! As such, we can be ruthlessly honest about our sin, our struggles, and our conflicts within and without. (Poirier 36)”
It is also important to note that, “…conflict is not as random as you think. It actually tends to follow fairly predictable patterns and they tend to begin …with a spark or a trigger. (Pollard 4)” At the top of that list of triggers must be the God given diversity instilled in each of us. At no place in the church should this diversity be more evident than around the board room table, when the senior pastor, associate pastors, elders, deacons, and various church leaders come together to seek God’s will in leading His people, stewarding His resources, and fulfilling His commission, in the most effective, and Christ-honoring way possible. Someone said recently in reference to our new president and his diverse staff, “If I have three advisors, and they all think alike, two people need to get fired!”
We need to be of one-mindedness in regard to the mission, but diversity of thought in how to carry that out is a good thing. Inherent within that diversity however, is the possibility of major points of conflict that must be reconciled peacefully if the organization is to survive intact. Diverse ways of thinking will cause members of leadership to view priorities differently, perceive strengths and weaknesses differently, and want to allocate funds differently based on those perspectives. Nevertheless, “Differences between people are normal and natural. They’re not themselves conflicts but they are triggers for conflicts… (Pollard 5)”, that must be acknowledged and dealt with appropriately or they will become confrontational ultimately.
Ignoring, discounting, or merely marginalizing someone’s diverse opinions or recommendations, because you think differently about the subject, will only lead to arguments, divisions, and yes, conflict! Honoring the views of others by giving them due consideration, debate, and acceptance, on the other hand, can only lead to a stronger team, who appreciate that their voices are being heard, validated, and even acted upon, as their ideas become a part of the governing policies of the leadership structure.
Other conflicts can stem from far less obvious circumstances however. Churches who have had massive splits, bitter power struggles, and divisive arguments, have often traced the original offense back to a simple carnal or passive-aggressive sneer in passing, an unloving remark at a board meeting or, “…a particular sarcastic comment a pastor made during a sermon. [who] was too proud to apologize for that comment. (Sande 1)” Whichever might be the case, we can clearly see the need for humility, the fruits of the Spirit, and godly common courtesy to rule the day.
These traits are the undeniable characteristics of the “Peacemakers”, and we need more of them in the church today. Fighting for your own causes, ideas, and perspectives, can be a justifiable way of interacting with other ministers and believers, but it is also the natural tendency of man to do so; the carnal motivations of an un-regenerated, self-centered person, who just wants to get their own way. You know, kind of like how a little baby acts. It takes real courage, genuine spiritual maturity, and authentic humility, to be a “Peacemaker”, who diminishes the tension in the room by allowing others to speak, honors the perspectives of those they disagree with, and speaks words of reconciliation, rather than trying to win their argument. Be a Peacemaker, be a Telemachus!
By Pastor Glen Mustian
Works Cited:
Fox, John. Fox's Book of Martyrs. Hendrickson Publishers. Peabody, MA. Print. 2004.
New King James Version. The Holy Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishing. Nashville, TN. Print. 2002.
Pollard, Tim. Resolving Everyday Conflicts: Men and Women. Web. www.verbalink.com. 4/23/017.
Sande, Tim. True Leaders Must be Peacemakers: Learning to Prevent and Fight Fires of Conflict. Web. www.verbalink.com. 4/23/017.
