Peacemakers: Crossing the Divide Film
Check out this great short film portraying a different Kingdom narrative in the backdrop of conflict
The short film Peacemakers: Crossing the Divide is a few years old but worth viewing especially in light of current hostilities in the region. There is an encouraging counter-narrative taking place, albeit quietly, in the backdrop of what seems like an intractable conflict.
Peacemakers: Crossing the Divide “brings a message of hope in the midst of the seemingly intractable conflict between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. The power of the gospel to transform lives through forgiveness and reconciliation is communicated by powerful personal stories of Jewish and Arab followers of Jesus.”
Many Christians get caught up in the geo-politics and crisis-solution constructing of politicians, pundits and rage-entrepreneurs. But, we all need to sharpen our skills of thinking (and emoting) in the logic of the kingdom. That is, as ambassadors of the kingdom Jesus inaugurated, giving allegiance to this exalted and enthroned King, Christians are to be about the business of their King, seeing his will be done and kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Does this Kingdom narrative primarily capture our imagination and motivation over the logic of the state? The logic of power, us vs. them, barbarians vs the free, winners and losers is attractive, seductive and all around us. The state plays (or should play) a God-ordained role to maintain order, establish justice, defend the weak and ensure security. As good as government was meant to be, the logic of the state was not the primary operating system of Jesus. He acknowledged the state, interacted kindly with its representative centurions, tax collectors and even Pilate, but it was not his primary concern. The Kingdom, alluded to and spoken about by the prophets, vividly portrayed in the apocalyptic texts, and inaugurated by Jesus at his coming was the primary directive.
That Kingdom has come and is coming… in the small alternative communities who are light and salt in their lands and in reconciliation efforts of believers from all different backgrounds in conflict zones and in myriad other ways when we live in the logic and hope of the kingdom.