THE SOWERS OF DISCORD AND THE
PEACEMAKERS
Sowers of discord must
realize that this makes them followers of the rebel angel: "An
enemy has done this." Solomon adds, ". . .an apostate, an
unprofitable man walketh with a perverse mouth. With a wicked heart he
deviseth evil and at all times he soweth discord."
A sower of discord is
first called an apostate; for unless he has first fallen away from
God, like the proud angel, he would not sow discord. Discord is the
external restlessness that shows that one has no spiritual roots to
sustain him.
Blessed are the
peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. Surely, those
who disturb the peace are the children of Satan. All those who, by
discord, cut themselves off from the sap of love, become withered
branches. Even though they display in their actions fruits of
well-doing, these are, in fact, no fruits at all, because they do not
spring from the unity of love.
In perpetrating one single
discord, they root out all virtues from the human heart. In one single
sin of malice, they work innumerable other sins; but, sowing discord,
they extinguish charity. And since nothing is more esteemed by God
than the virtue of charity, nothing is more desired by the devil than
its extinction.
He, then, who sows discord
and thus destroys charity in others, serves God's enemy.
The peacemakers must know
with whom to make peace. It is harmful if there is no unity of peace
among the good. It is harmful if there is unity with the wicked. To
have unity with the wicked in their iniquity is to strengthen their
wickedness by your agreement with their evilness, which in turn will
make them vigorously afflict the good.
The wicked are never
united with one another; they are only united in slaughtering the
good. He who is united to the wicked adds to their strength in
persecuting the good. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were united in
persecuting Paul but their beliefs in the resurrection were
contradictory.
The peacemakers must first
instill in the hearts of the wicked the benefits of inward peace; this
will prevent them from hurrying towards wickedness. This inward peace
will inspire them to aim at eternal peace. But before working for
peace in others, we must work for it in our own hearts and maintain
it.
St. Gregory the Great: Pastoral
Care, Chapter 23, Part III
(12-19-02)
