VIEW

Daniel Mayfield, the new minister at the Kingfisher Church of Christ, led a lesson taken from Matthew 5:9 at a Wednesday evening meeting.

The verse reads:

“Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.”

He asked the congregation to name people they considered peacemakers. A number did.

He mentioned two individuals, not Christians, that he thought fell into that category: Mahatma Gandhi (Hindu), the Indian peaceful activist who led the Indian independence movement from British rule, and the Dalai Lama, the now-exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader.

We believe his point was that an omnipotent God works in the world to affect the thinking and actions of even non-Christians, many of whom may not be aware of it.

Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe is the son of God, ranks at the top of a list of peacemakers.

Although he died a violent death, he led the world away from a brutish, cruel culture.

While we listened to the lesson, we thought of individuals who might not be generally considered peaceful individuals who would fall into the peacemaker category, especially military service members and peace officers whose very presence prevents evil people from carrying out vicious acts.

Then we thought of former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is widely known as the “Warrior Monk.”

Mattis, the former U.S. Marine Corps general, led the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Although he has made a career of the military he is considered an “intellectual among the upper ranks.”

Robert H. Scales, a retired United States Army major general, described him as “...  one of the most urbane and polished men I have known.”

Another individual who always pops into our mind when peace-makers are mentioned is George Washington, the “Father” of the United States.

He led a Continental Army of volunteers to a victory over a highly professional (for that time) English Army and mercenaries, throwing off oppressive English rule.

It seems hardly likely that these two individuals were always gentle in their actions, but they made the tough decisions, accepting the blame for their actions, so that other people could lead peaceful lives, including worshiping God as they believe they should.

George Washington could have been named King of the United States but declined a third term as president after the U.S. was established, indicating a disdain for personal power, and setting the precedent for other presidents to this day, excepting F.D. Roosevelt. The law has been changed since F.D.R.’s four terms, limiting presidents to two terms.

Wikipedia says this of General Mattis:

“He is noted for his interest in the study of military history and world history, with a personal library that once included over 7,000 volumes and a penchant for publishing required reading lists for Marines under his command.

He required his Marines to be well-read in the culture and history of regions where they were deployed, and had his Marines deploying to Iraq undergo “cultural sensitivity training.”

Such training allowed American Marines to avoid unintentional acts violating the enemy’s culture that would have precipitated antagonistic responses while still performing the job required of them.

There are thousands, probably millions, of individuals throughout history who might not fall into the accepted pattern of peacemaker whose actions provided a more peaceful world.

Winston Churchill of England surely should qualify. He was the instrument of peace who held the line against Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler until the United States military led by Dwight D. Eisenhower (another peacemaker, perhaps), entered the war, driving the nail in Nazi Germany’s coffin.

We would like to see a list compiled of important, yet unrecognized and unappreciated peacemakers – protectors of their families, communities or nations.

Unsung heroes have been around for millennia or none of us might be here.