30 Days of Thanks - Day 15 - Peacemakers

Once upon a time in China, two rival lords were entangled in grueling land and trade negotiations. As discussion progressed, one lord felt as if the denial of certain concessions by the other had dishonored him. This lord decided to avenge himself, gathering the entirety of his troops and moving toward a hillside on the border between the two territories. The other lord, hearing of this movement, gathered his troops and camped in the plain a ways off from the hillside. This lord had managed to muster a more impressive army than the other yet the avenging lord still sought war.

The night before going to battle, the avenging lord sought the advice of a local sage. This sage had also heard of the plans and that the lord was coming to him for direction. The sage knew, too, that the lord was set on action and was unwilling to withdraw. When the lord approached him, the sage arose and began walking toward the camp. The sage declared, "Come. We must work quickly to finish before the sun rises. I will arrange your troops in a formation that will assure true victory and you will rest to prepare to receive it." The lord followed the sage back to camp, excited about his upcoming victory. He put the soldiers at the sage's command and went to his tent to rest.

As daylight broke, the lord emerged from his tent in full dress for victory. He saw that his troops had been arranged in a strange row formation over the course of the night and he smiled at the thought that this would bring him what he desired. Shortly after sunrise, the other lord sent over a delegation to speak with him. "Good," he thought. "This formation is so fearsome, I have already won."

The other lord sent the following declaration: "Greetings. When I had heard that you had gathered troops to advance on my territory, I became furious and gathered the force you see across the plain. However, having seen your message displayed upon the hillside this morning, I know now that I was mistaken. I offer to you the concessions that you requested in our meetings in light of this. I see now the sincerity you give to our alliance. There shall be peace between us as long as we both shall live."

The lord stood, looking at the hill. The sage had arranged the troops in a formation that assured true victory.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." - Matthew 5:9

A peacemaker, like the sage, knows that a force that cannot be stopped must be redirected.

As far as I know, I just came up with the story above so: Copyright 2011 by Shannon Nichols.

For a good series on the Chinese written language:

How to Write 'Friend' in Chinese -- powered by ehow