Beyond “Peace Through Strength”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” – Matthew 5:9

The Paradox of “Peace Through Strength”

In our increasingly polarized world, we hear a common refrain: peace through strength. The idea seems intuitive—build up military might, economic leverage, or political power to deter aggression and create stability. This mentality has shaped nations, communities, and even our personal relationships. It suggests that peace comes through dominance, through having the upper hand.

But is this the peace Jesus calls us to?

As Andre Gide wrote, “It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace.” The patient labors of peace requires something more profound than simply amassing power or resources.

Jesus’ Radical Vision of Peace

When Jesus addressed the crowds in his Sermon on the Mount, he upended conventional wisdom about power and peace:

• He called “blessed” those who were meek, not those who dominated others
• He praised the merciful, not those who demanded retribution
• He elevated peacemakers, not peacekeepers or peace-through-strength adherents

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us, “A Christian life proves itself not in words, but character. No one is a Christian without character.” And the character Jesus calls us to embody doesn’t match a “peace through strength” mentality.

Just as our faith is tested when healing eludes us or prayers seem unanswered, our understanding of peace is challenged when dominance and strength fail to bring the harmony we seek. These moments of dissonance invite us to look deeper—beyond our cultural assumptions and toward the upside-down kingdom Jesus proclaimed.

The Countercultural Path to Peace

The biblical concept of peace—shalom in Hebrew—goes far beyond the absence of conflict. It encompasses wholeness, well-being, and right relationships in all dimensions of life. This kind of peace can’t be achieved through domination or threat.

When we believe peace comes primarily through strength, we corrupt the very concept Jesus came to embody and teach.

True biblical peace comes through:

1. Compassion, Not Coercion

In Exodus, we see a profound example of peaceful resistance: God used the compassion of women to free the oppressed. Those who opposed the Pharaoh and his laws did not do so with violence, but with compassion. Their hearts were stirred by the value of life and they resisted, standing with the oppressed, placing a target on themselves, responding with gentleness.

The midwives, Moses’ mother and sister, and even Pharaoh’s daughter achieved what no army could—they preserved life and set in motion the liberation of an entire people through acts of compassionate resistance, not through overwhelming force.

2. Presence, Not Power

God’s model of peacemaking isn’t found in displays of overwhelming strength (though He certainly could), but in faithful presence with those who suffer. The beautiful comfort that God gives is that of presence. We are never abandoned.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, demonstrated this approach throughout his ministry. He didn’t overthrow Rome with superior power; he transformed lives through presence, healing, and relationship. Even at his crucifixion, when he could have called down legions of angels, Jesus chose the way of sacrificial love.

3. Listening, Not Winning

Peacemaking begins with a simple but profound act: truly listening to others. Not listening to formulate a response or to identify flaws in their argument, but listening to understand their heart.

If your goal is to change someone’s mind or seek confirmation that you are right, it’s best to walk away. Instead, recognize your own bias and set aside preconceived ideas. Really listen to the person in front of you. After hearing them out, even if you still disagree, you may find you understand how they arrived at their belief.

When we approach hot-button issues with curiosity rather than defensiveness, amazing things can happen. Walls come down. Real dialogue becomes possible.

Living as Peacemakers in Polarized Times

How do we practice this radical, Jesus-centered peacemaking in our daily lives?

Embrace Stillness

There is joy and peace in stillness. The world is full of busy noise and finding rest is difficult. Psalm 46 reminds us: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Before we can make peace externally, we must cultivate it internally through practices of silence, prayer, and meditation.

Cross Boundaries

Jesus constantly crossed boundaries that divided people. He spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, dined with tax collectors, showed compassion to Roman soldiers, and challenged religious leaders.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, “Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.” Understanding requires us to cross the boundaries that keep us separated from “them.”

Create Collective Light

Richard Rohr and Brené Brown both speak of collective light. When tragedy happens, people come together. We share in one another’s suffering and carry the burden together. It is the only way through the darkness of cancer, war, illness, and more. Alone our tiny light barely breaks through, but together we can conquer the darkness that surrounds us.

Peace isn’t something we achieve alone. It happens in community, when we join our lights together against the darkness.

From Theory to Practice

If you’re wondering how to be a peacemaker in your everyday life, here are some practical steps:

1. Engage in respectful conversations with those who hold different views, not to change their mind, but to understand their heart.
2. Look for the story behind the belief. Ask questions like, “How did you come to that conclusion?” or “Can you help me understand why this matters so much to you?”
3. Create spaces for dialogue where diverse perspectives are welcome. This might be around your dinner table, in a small group, or through intentional one-on-one conversations.
4. Pray for those you disagree with, asking God to help you see them as He does and to give you genuine love for them.
5. Start with your inner circle. Practice these principles with family members or close friends who hold different views before tackling more public disagreements.
6. Remember the bigger picture. Our primary identity isn’t in our political affiliations or cultural viewpoints—it’s in Christ. This common ground transcends our differences.

A Different Kind of Strength

Perhaps true peace doesn’t come through strength as much as it requires a different kind of strength—the strength to listen when we want to speak, to remain present when we want to withdraw, to love when we feel justified in hating.

As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the ultimate peacemaker, we discover that true peace isn’t achieved through dominance or power, but through the vulnerable, often uncomfortable work of compassion, presence, and genuine understanding.

In the words of the Prayer of St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

This is our calling as followers of Jesus—not to create peace through superior strength, but to become instruments of God’s peace in a broken and divided world.

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Reflection Questions:

1. Where have you seen “peace through strength” mentality at work in your life or community? How has it succeeded or failed?
2. Think of a conflict in your life. How might approaching it with compassion, presence, and listening change the outcome?
3. What boundaries might Jesus be calling you to cross as a peacemaker?
4. How can you contribute to creating “collective light” in a divided situation?

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What experiences have you had with peacemaking that challenged conventional wisdom? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.