“Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

In Hebrew the word peace is Shalom. It never means only the absence of trouble; in Hebrew peace always means everything which makes for a man’s highest good.

It is also important to remember that the blessing is upon the peace-makers not necessarily the peace-lovers.

For instance some people will stay out of conflict at all costs even when they know they should stand up for what is right. “The peace which the Bible calls blessed does not come from the evasion of issues; it comes from facing them, dealing with them, and conquering them. What this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things because we are afraid of the trouble of doing anything about them, but the active facing of things, and the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle.” William Barclay

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3