A West African proverb: until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.1 This is…uncomfortable. It’s not how we want to think about heroes. Heroes and villains should be totally different. A hero is forged in goodness, courage, and determination. Their actions are righteous and their cause is just. If we don’t claim to be heroes ourselves, we at least claim the right to define who the heroes are. They are people we agree with.
It’s not “just the facts” that shape us. More than we care to admit, we see people as heroic or good based on the stories we tell about them and the stories we’re willing to believe about them. This only intensifies in times of crisis and tragedy. When we’re in danger or angry or grieving, we have little use for different stories. Our side needs to be the heroes to make things better. We need to carry on, unrelenting, or else how will we ever be safe again?
… What happens when we mourn for those on the other side? What happens when we learn about the different stories that people tell to understand what’s going on? What happens when we choose to comfort each other’s grief rather than argue about whose stance is offensive? Documenting how we’ve been wronged, cultivating anger, and retaliating don’t end conflicts. Peace comes in the willingness to take lives and stories seriously – in believing that there are people of good faith who want to sit across the table from you. It comes in taking risks together and slowly, slowly building trust towards a better future for everyone. It could be that Jesus said, “blessed are the peacemakers” because making peace is terrifying and seems impossible. The peace of Christ isn’t total victory where you emerge in a field without enemy or opponent – that was the goal of the peace of Rome. The peace of Christ isn’t even a peace where families keep perfect harmony. The peace that Christ brings is cosmic, showcasing a splintering of the power of evil and sin. It is communal: showing us ways to leave bondage behind and call each one sister and brother. It is individual: teaching us how boundless love is in this life and the next.
[1] https://thepeopleshistorian.com/