January 21, 2003 

MAKING PEACE GOD'S WAY

I was browsing through Baptist Roots, a book edited by Dr. James McClendon shortly before his death. He included several pieces by African-American preachers during the nineteenth century, as slavery gave way to an uneasy, segregated society. One of their greatest frustrations was trying to find a way of relating to white Baptist churches in the south and in the North. Ultimately, they formed their own association, the National Baptist Convention, in 1895.

William Bishop Johnson, a Washington D.C. pastor, was the editor of The National Baptist Magazine. He wrote an article on the continuing plight of African-Americans entitled "The Scourging of a Race." The Biblical text he used was Proverbs 16:7:

"When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

I was reading this on the day after Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday holiday, and I couldn't help but think that Dr. King's successful non-violent strategy for responding to injustices was anticipated by this earlier black Baptist preacher.

The passage in Proverbs makes two important points for those who are trying to address injustices today:

First, the key to our effectiveness is in our own relationship with God—"When a man's ways please the Lord . . . ." Far more important than having leadership qualities is submitting to the Leader. It is certainly helpful to have a good plan, but it's more critical to be a good person. When we are spiritually prepared by a personal, consistent walk with the Lord, all our words and actions have much more power.

Second, God's the only one who can change the mind and heart of an "enemy." It might seem at first glance that the Proverb is ascribing this ability to the person who is trying to bring about change, as if the "he" that is causing peace is that person. But scholars of Hebrew generally agree that the "he" here refers to God. The implication is that if we do our part—seeking to please the Lord in our lives—, God will do his part—changing the heart of our enemies.

If we would take this Proverb seriously, there would be a profound change in the way we try to resolve injustices. The focus of our efforts would be on our relationship with our God, rather than on the actions and attitudes of our enemies. We would trust him to take care of changing them. This would make us much more confident and controlled, which would drive our enemies crazy.

–Pastor George Van Alstine