“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus of Nazareth tells his followers in the Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall be called sons of God.”
Whether those who dare end brutal conflicts enjoy great rewards in heaven, as the sermon promises, is impossible to know. What is clear is that, here on Earth, peacemakers often pay a heavy price — often their lives — for their efforts.
The examples are both numerous and illustrious. In December 1921, Michael Collins, a leader in Ireland’s struggle for independence from the United Kingdom, signed the controversial Anglo-Irish Treaty, which created the Irish Free State with King George V as its head of state. A bloody civil war ensued and Collins was assassinated, though pro-treaty forces ultimately prevailed.