The story is told of...
Illustration
The story is told of two tribes that for years were in a perpetual state of conflict. One warring moment would hardly end before another broke out.
Eventually they tired of the warfare, but they did not know how to secure the peace, each being suspicious that the other would only use it to prepare for a surprise attack.
Then someone hit on the idea of each chief exchanging his son with the other chief. The son of the one chief would live with the other chief, sharing his home, taking his other children as brothers and sisters, learning the ways of the other tribe, literally mingling his life with theirs. If they were called on to go to war, he would be at their side just as much as he would be at their side in peace.
Meanwhile the exchange went the other way also, so that each chief knew that were war to break out, his own son would be in danger from his own tribe. And each had to trust the other to raise his son in ways of honor and integrity. It called for peace with security.
So these children were known as "peace children" and became the means of reconciling two tribes that had previously been unable to stop warring between themselves.
"You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ." God and humanity meet in this child and they establish peace through him.
Eventually they tired of the warfare, but they did not know how to secure the peace, each being suspicious that the other would only use it to prepare for a surprise attack.
Then someone hit on the idea of each chief exchanging his son with the other chief. The son of the one chief would live with the other chief, sharing his home, taking his other children as brothers and sisters, learning the ways of the other tribe, literally mingling his life with theirs. If they were called on to go to war, he would be at their side just as much as he would be at their side in peace.
Meanwhile the exchange went the other way also, so that each chief knew that were war to break out, his own son would be in danger from his own tribe. And each had to trust the other to raise his son in ways of honor and integrity. It called for peace with security.
So these children were known as "peace children" and became the means of reconciling two tribes that had previously been unable to stop warring between themselves.
"You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ." God and humanity meet in this child and they establish peace through him.
