SermonStudio

You have to admire those men and women who serve as peacemakers in trouble spots around the globe. Whether in Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, or elsewhere, these people serving under the auspices of the United Nations come from many different countries and put their lives on the line -- all to ensure that peace, all too elusive in many cases, becomes a new way of life for those affected so long by war and bloodshed.

Not all of these peacemakers are soldiers. Many are non-combatants who serve as support for the military presence. You've got your medics and mechanics, cooks and truck drivers, and other support crews. They are all vulnerable to hostile action, and every one of them understands that today might be their last.

Now the good folks at Heckler & Koch want to give them some protection. Not that they have no protection at all, but perhaps they need some hi-tech, high-powered insurance.

Introducing the MP7, aka the Peacemaker. This little piece of firepower is more powerful than a pistol and more compact than a submachine gun. With this baby, you can penetrate twenty layers of Kevlar with a single round, and take out an entire platoon of heavily-armed guerillas. The Germans have already ordered it for their special forces, and the Marine Corps is considering its possible applications as well.

The MP7 is not made of steel, but of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic. That means the gun, resistant to corrosion, is light, weighing only 2.86 pounds. The barrel is longer than a pistol at a little over thirteen inches, but the longer barrel increases both accuracy and velocity. The ammo from the Peacekeeper travels almost 2,500 feet per second and can pump out bullets at 950 rounds a minute. It will pierce a half-inch plate of Titanium from 500 feet.

You're a cook and not trained in military warfare? Not to worry. Just snap on a reflective lens and a little red dot will appear on your target making shooting the Peacemaker a piece of cake.

Of course, a weapon with this much firepower is going to have some recoil. To minimize this problem, the MP7 comes with a retractable stock, making the Peacemaker look like an assault rifle. The pistol grip is also collapsible, allowing one to drop the Peacemaker easily into a holster when not in use.

I'm not going to pronounce judgment on what men and women in Kabul need or do not need to do in order to feel safe or to keep the peace. They've got a tough job.

I do know this, however. Too often I pack way too much firepower in my day-to-day life than is necessary to keep the peace. In fact, Jesus says I'm better off not using the weapons of revenge, anger, hatred, and harsh words at all. His is a far more pacifist approach. "Love your enemies," he says. That's a huge strategic investment in my relationships with the people in my life. Totally counter-intuitive -- which is why as a strategy alone it is so effective.

How to love your enemies? Step Two in Jesus' Four-Step Peace Plan gives us the answer: "Do good to those who hate you." This very important component of the Plan shows that Jesus never calls on us to have warm, fuzzy feelings for our enemies. He calls on us to love them by doing good to them. I don't need to send them a Hallmark card; a box of clothes will do. Or arranging the interview. Or providing a recommendation. Or sending food. Or befriending their children. Whatever. Let's not confuse what Jesus means by loving our enemies. Do good to them, he says.

Step Three is even more difficult. "Bless those who curse you." How do you bless someone, except by being a blessing to them? Conclude with Step Four: "Pray for those who mistreat you." Focus the red dot of prayer on your enemies. Use the ammo of prayer. It's hard to hate and curse someone for whom you are praying.

Walk this Four-Fold Path to Peace, and you will be the Peacemaker. No retractable stock necessary. No grip, except the grip of grace, is necessary.