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Peacemaking

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he gives a series of blessings to his listeners. These blessings, often called the beatitudes, describe the way of following Jesus. This way, or journey, is a way of peace. "Blessed are the peacemakers," he says. In his ministry, Jesus consistently subverts expectations in the stories he tells so that the poor and grieving are blessed and his followers are called to peace, even with enemies.

Peacemaking is a high calling and a tall order. Our world today is often divided and volatile, but Jesus' call to peace suggests that the world has always been in need of peacemakers. Called to live in peace as brothers and sisters, when we want to grow as peacemakers, we should seek to practice what Jesus preached. We can do this through a variety of spiritual practices you can explore in this module.

Discover

Practice

Peacemaking on your own

Inspiring Peacemaker

Learning for Justice Restoration

Practicing Dialogue

Peacemaking with others

Forgiving and Restoring

Pilgrimage

pilgrimage — Pilgrimage is central in religious experiences around the world, and for pilgrims, it's important to realize that pilgrimage as a spiritual practice is not undertaken primarily for personal growth. Participating in a pilgrimage offers an opportunity to become aware of the lives of neighbors and to deepen commitment to the work of justice and reconciliation in local communities and the world.

One meaningful pilgrimage is a Civil Rights Pilgrimage in which pilgrims seek to better understand the history of societal, racial, and systemic injustices in local communities and the United States. Pilgrims are introduced to important sites and iconic leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Many sites are in the Southern region of the United States, such as Birmingham, Jackson, Selma, Montgomery, and Little Rock. But one may also experience pilgrimages in Detroit, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco.

Wherever you journey, it's important to remember that we don't come as tourists but as pilgrims. In order to engage the pilgrimage spiritually consider a few pointers:

The following are essential components of participating in a pilgrimage experience: Educate yourself before you go. Read as much history and hear as many testimonials as possible. Pray! This practice of prayer should occur before, during, and after the pilgrimage. Ready yourself for the lament that you will experience on such a pilgrimage. It might be helpful to read some Psalms of lament to see how God's people model crying out against injustice. Lament the history of racial injustice and systemic oppression you encounter. Pay respect to the lives of people who suffered and lives that were taken in the places you visit. Notice God's presence awakening compassion and prompting ideas for reconciliation and peacemaking in your own heart, relationships, families and communities. After your pilgrimage, pray and record the experience in retrospect. And then take action steps.

Join a group or organization such as the work of Fellowship Church led by John Williams or Freedom Road, led by Lisa Sharon Harper. You may also reach out to Pepperdine Intercultural Affairs to learn about pilgrimages they often lead for Pepperdine Students.

Go Deeper

Recommended Reading

If you are interested in exploring peacemaking as a spiritual practice and would like to explore more and with greater depth, here are some resources you might like to utilize:

Books

Embracing Our Broken Humanity (Grace Ji-Sun Kim & Graham Hill)
Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Stories of Contemplation and Justice (Therese Taylor-Stinson)
Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Justice (Latasha Morrison)
Jesus and the Disinherited (Howard Thurman)
Welcoming Justice: God's Movement Toward Beloved Community (Marsh, Charles, and John M. Perkins)
Globalization, Gender, and Peacebuilding: The Future of Interfaith Dialogue (Kwok Pui-lan)
No Future Without Forgiveness (Tutu, Desmond)
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation (Volf, Miroslav)
Pepperdine University Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution

Practice, not Perfect

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

Martin Luther King, Jr.