The Ballestero Blog

The Peace Prize

He sat there stunned. The huge room was filled with people from everywhere. The Presenter of the highly esteemed “Peace Prize” was listing all of the qualifications a potential candidate must posses in order to receive the award.

The winner would be given an unbelievably large sum, plus a myriad of perks and benefits. Receiving this award would be someone’s dream of a lifetime.

He looked around the room at all the others there. He recognized quite a few. He wasn’t even sure he should be here.

• He wasn’t a rocket scientist.
• He wasn’t a well know politician.
• He wasn’t a world leader.
• He wasn’t a hero of any kind.
• He wasn’t a famous doctor with a large laboratory.
• He’d never discovered a cure.
• He didn’t even have a fancy degree.
• He was just a private citizen.

Yet, now he found himself sitting in this international assembly of people. Some of them are amazingly gifted. He felt so small compared to them.

He is brought back to reality at the mention of his name. They just called his name! His name! He is being announced as the winner of the “Peace Prize.”

He’s stunned. What did he do to win this? With his brain in a whirl he somehow stumbles to the stage.

He stands there modestly, while the Presenter begins to read his accomplishments to the audience. He drops his gaze and looks at the floor while he listens. Tears begin to trickle down his face. He remembers the things that are now being read.

He never did those things to win a prize or for any recognition. He’d only done it out of love.

Besides receiving all the “Peace Prize” benefits and provisions, he is handed a beautiful certificate with his name inscribed on it, signifying him as the winner. It simply says:

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Matthew 5:9