“I think that to have known one good, old man—one man, who, through the chances and mischances of a long life, has carried his heart in his hand, like a palm branch, waving all discords into peace—helps our faith in God, in ourselves, and in each other more than many sermons.”
– George William Curtis (Leaves of Gold, pg. 19)
One of my favorite Bible verses is Matthew 5:9. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” I like it partly because it makes use of a common analogy in scripture, that of family resemblance. When one works to make peace, that person is bearing family resemblance to our Heavenly Father. I can think of few things that I would consider a greater compliment.
Curtis weaves a beautiful image of a peacemaker, advanced in years with a history and reputation of leaving a wake of peace. It tells of a person unafraid of vulnerability, willing to deal with others out of a compassionate heart. Such a person walks between feuding parties bearing a palm branch rather than a sword. Others can feel the anxiety in a room begin to dissipate which the peacemaker enters. Whenever this person departs, others are left with the odd but unmistakable feeling that Jesus has been present. This is what peacemakers do.
As my mind drifts through the past, a number of faces appear in my memory. They are faces of peacemakers. I know so, because I have seen it in their lives. They are too numerous to name here, for once I got started I would not know where to stop. Nevertheless, their lives have been lived before others exactly as Curtis describes. To my knowledge, few if any of them ever took to the pulpit to address a congregation. Nevertheless, the sermons they have delivered would make a priceless treasury of how to live as Christ in this world. It has been a gift to have known them, and I thank God that their witness still has power to speak.
In the spirit of Lent, I must ask myself if I am pointed the right direction in this regard. With 62+ years behind me, I am no longer a young man. There has been plenty of time to leave build a history and a reputation. Is it one of peacemaking? It would be a curious thing for me to say how much I appreciate the example of the saints who impacted me, then not walk by their example. It would be just as curious to claim appreciation for a Bible verse, only to ignore its applicability in my life. Right now I stand at the precipice of a new day, and I will surely leave some kind of wake as I make my way through it. My deep desire is that it will be a wake of peace, holding my heart in my hand and waving it like a palm branch for the healing of our world.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 