Peace Protests

Doesn't that seem like an oxymoron?

Combining "peace" and "protest" just doesn't seem to fit together.

When we protest, we are after something that we want. We are concerned with our goals and ambitions. But does that generally lead to peace?

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?" (James 4:1)

When I let my passions take control, when I let them win the battle, then I'm on the way to a quarrel with someone else.

People are always getting in my way. I want to take the day off, but the boss won't pay me if I don't come in to work. I want the temperature at church to be set to my body, but there are 250 other people there. I want to ... but...

Every time there is a quarrel, it's because I want something that I'm not getting.

Look at the verse before James 4:1:

"And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:18).

Don't we all want a harvest of righteousness sown in peace?

The solution is to be a peacemaker.

Identify the problem and attack it, not the other person.

Identify the problem and solve it; don't ignore it.

Come to the best possible biblical solution to the problem

Then you'll be a peacemaker. You won't always get what you want, if you're following your selfish passions.

But if what you want is a harvest of righteousness sown in peace, you'll get it.