Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord – Hebrews 12:14

Love thy neighbour. It’s a beautiful mandate that Jesus gives us, but it’s not always easy to live out. In a world where we have virtual neighbours and everyone can give an opinion on something from behind their keyboard, it can be hard to love people, especially when they are being malicious or are dragging you through the mud because you hold a different belief to them. But if we want people to see Jesus, we need to be Jesus to them, and that means seeking peace. That means that we sometimes need to shut the computer down and walk away. It means allowing someone to have the last word. It sometimes means being kind instead of being right. This doesn’t mean backing down from what you believe in, or compromising your faith, it means that we need to look at the situation and ask ourselves how we can best show the love of Jesus to someone; it means asking ourselves what we think Jesus would want us to do. It means putting others before ourselves and loving others. Today, in a world that seeks to divide, may we be the peacekeepers that bring unity.

Lord, we thank you that You are a loving and gracious God. Would you help us to be the peacekeepers You want us to be and to show Your love to those around us, especially those that are hard to love. Help us to extend the grace that you extended to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.