over power and force.

2.  The call to peacemaking begins with us, then our families, neighbors, and strangers.  Peace involves justice, mercy, and compassion and the new covenant to embrace all peoples everywhere.  

3.  Compromise in peacemaking ceases when the result would appear to be a false, one-sided or enforced peace, when power takes over again.  Sometimes, a truce must be appropriate as a step towards peace.  Peacemaking also involves the principles of reconciliation, restoration and renewal.

4.  I think the moral obligation for Christians as peacemakers begins with ourselves, our pledge, our vow, to work towards peace.  As for taking the initiative, it begins by renouncing the use of force and power.  I think it is linked to the concept of “turning the other cheek” rather than answering tit for tit and then engaging in inevitable escalating, spiraling one-upsmanship.  Peace takes great patience, the opposite of anger.  One principle is to avoid conflict. Remember the definition of an argument:  Two people out of control, trying to control each other.  Another principle of non-violent communication is to disarm the other party with an apology, whether it is merited or not.

5.  I think force and power rarely work.  Remember what power does and what absolute power does.  Eventually it consumes the powerful and nothing is left except waste and loss.  Non-violence will overcome violence eventually.  I think armed force embraces all the Seven Deadly Sins: pride, wrath, greed, sloth, lust, envy, and gluttony.  I think you can apply these seven vices or weaknesses to the recent wars we have undertaken.  Think about it.