Be a Peacemaker

People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace. ~ Proverbs 10:10 (NLT)

There is, or was, a tv show called “What Would You Do?” The idea behind the show was to create a situation that should require intervention by those passing by in order to help resolve it. The situation involved actors, but it all played out in public. The people around the scene were completely unaware that what was happening was fake. An example of such a situation would be someone attempting to steal a purse from a lady on a busy street. The lady fights back against her assailant. What would the people on the busy street do in response to witnessing this? The show was fairly popular for one simple reason – almost no one dared to offer assistance. You read that correctly. When someone was being attacked on a busy street many people watched, and felt concern over what they were witnessing, but the vast majority of them just stared or kept on walking. Eventually, after having run the scene several times, someone would do the right thing and jump in to help. It was only then that it was revealed as a setup; a social experiment if you will.

It turns out, as Americans, we talk a good game about being there for each other and standing up for what is right. In reality, we don’t tend to follow through with our actions.

The excuses that were given by people that just kept walking by were fairly typical: too busy, didn’t want to get involved, they were afraid they too would get hurt or killed, and so on. In other words, it wasn’t their problem, so why should they stick their neck out for someone else? Because it is the right thing to do, that’s why.

Our verse today hones in on this concept. “People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace.” We aren’t called to be bystanders when we witness a wrong being committed. At school, that can be bullying or gossip. In workplaces it can be laziness, theft, or complaining. On the street, it can be just about anything. In the church, it can be people with a critical spirit. We are called to be peace makers. We aren’t called to turn a blind eye to injustice.

Christ is our perfect example. Sin wasn’t His problem. He didn’t commit it. It was our problem. Yet, He stood up for us. He did what was right and earned our freedom.