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Editorial
Alwyn Thomson
Comment:
Politics: serving God and doing good!
Ethel White
From
the Director: Cultivating the common ground
David W Porter
ECONI
Statement: Confidence in God
October 2002
Postbag: Letters to the Editor
Why
vote?
Alison Laird
Communities
of hope
Lord Alderdice
Transformation 2003: Killing for God?
View
from the south
Patrick Mitchel
Church
& state
Esmond
Birnie MLA
Taking
the plunge
John Kyle
Faith
in politics
Interview: Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP
Your
kingdom come
Heather Morrow
ECONI
Statement: Forum for Peace & Reconciliation
January 2003
Bible
study series: Faith in the future
David
W Porter
Through
a glass, darkly
Changing Women, Changing Worlds Conference
Review:
A night in November by Marie Jones
Noel
McCune
Book
Reviews
Alwyn Thomson
For
God and His Glory Alone:
Study 3: Reconciliation
For
God and His Glory Alone:
Study 4: Peace
Ps
34:14;
37:11,37
Pr
16:7
Is
9:6f; 32:17;
52:7;
53:5
Matt
5:9
Jn
13:34f
Rom
12:17f
Eph
2:11-22
Heb
12:14
Jas
3:17f
Study 4
PEACE
“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
HAVING FOUND PEACE with God and with each other, followers of Jesus are, by definition, peacemakers. The impetus for peacemaking lies in our doctrine of God and in our experience of God’s grace.
We are to live at peace with all people as far as it depends on us. This implies and demands, firstly, the rejection of violence, whether in the form of action, word or attitude, in all our relationships in the community. It also requires the embracing of actions, words and attitudes which constructively contribute to peace. In following this way, we must not associate with the use or threat of violence and paramilitary force, even under the guise of self-defence.
Read Romans 12:18 and Hebrews 12:14. Great responsibility is placed upon Christians to “make every effort” to live at peace with others. What does “making every effort” imply in Northern Ireland? Can there ever be a time when we can assume that we have fully satisfied this command?
What was David’s attitude to Saul in 1 Samuel 23, 24 & 26? What was the effect of David’s consistent approach (1 Samuel 26:21)? What lessons can we draw from this?
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