Price of Peace

“For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:19-20, NAS.

On one Southeast Asian island a Muslim minority group has lived at war within through family feuds and without through hatred and distrust of the majority people who immigrated to their island generations ago. Their warlike lifestyle has left their villages very poor and underdeveloped. Many of the villages desperately need clean drinking water.

Believers approached two neighboring villages to offer help in drilling wells to provide precious drinking water. Both villages welcomed the help, but their military leaders, called village captains, disliked each other. Both proclaimed that they would not allow the well to be drilled in their village unless it was agreed that the other village would not get a well!

Raymond*, the project manager, asked to meet with these men. He knew that unless he could reconcile the village captains everyone would continue to suffer without a clean water source. It took two months of hard negotiations before the men reached an agreement.

As the captains finished the negotiations, they both turned to their mediator, Raymond. One captain said, “According to our traditions, in order to seal a peace agreement like this the mediator must be killed. Only his shed blood will make the agreement binding to both parties.”

Raymond looked at both men in stunned disbelief. He took a deep breath and said, “Okay, if that is the only way for peace, then you can kill me. The only thing that I ask is for you to bury my body between the villages as a reminder of this agreement.”

When the men saw Raymond’s sincerity, they were deeply touched that he was willing to sacrifice himself for the peace of their villages. They agreed on an alternate sacrifice and ceremonially exchanged weapons to seal the agreement.

To this day, the peace has held between these captains. As a result, the entire communities have reconciled. Believers came in and drilled wells in both villages, and believers continue to build relationships and share the Gospel as they meet physical needs in these villages.

Raymond learned personally that the price of peace can be high, but he already knew the price that his Lord had paid so he could have peace with God. His Lord had also paid that price for these Muslim villages, and he was the ambassador sent to mediate this great and lasting peace to them regardless of the personal cost.

*Names changes for security reasons.

Pray that:

Believers like Raymond will continue to love this Muslim people group with a sacrificial love that reflects Jesus.

The sharing of the Gospel will bring needed reconciliation and peace to this war torn people.

Meeting physical needs will lead to the opportunity to meet spiritual needs among all the villages in this area.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.