Why would a nation of millions mourn the death of one person as if he were a close family member? Even in our time of celebrity, when some people are beloved for the roles they act out or the songs they sing, no one would cause our nation to mourn their death for 30 days.
Yet, Aaron, the brother of Moses, evoked the tears of Israel for 30 days like a beloved father or grandfather. Why?
Aaron was not just a man of peace but a peacemaker. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
How did Aaron make peace in his time? He would build up rather than tear down relationships. It is said that the name Aaron was the most popular baby name in his day because he would counsel couples to stay together.
He would do the same for other types of relationships. One story told is that when two men argued, Aaron brought them back together by suggesting the first, “Rueben really feels bad about your fight and wants to make peace,” and then telling the second the same thing. As a result, the two men hugged and made peace the next time they saw each other.
Today, our nation is being divided by greed and envy, focusing on our fathers’ sins and how unfair everything is.
It is easy to sever the ties that bind us using our nature against us, and that is the enemy’s goal, divide and conquer, to stop human flourishing.
We can blame others for all of this, pointing out the terrible things being said or advanced through immoral teachings. We should oppose the wrong doctrine, but we should also be peacemakers.
As peacemakers, we need to build up instead of tear down. Politicians, including the last three presidents, have done a lot of tearing down, and we have been ok with that. Instead, we should seek to bring our communities together by supporting healthy relationships and healthy attitudes about wealth.
It starts with our relationship with the Lord and the Holy Spirit’s work to develop sound doctrine in us. Then, as we seek to love the Lord and then love others, we will naturally become peacemakers.
