War and Peace. (2 Samuel 2: 1-32)

War and peace have been with us since Cain and Abel.

 Conflicts can show up in families. They show up between siblings. They show up in neighbourhoods, workplaces, churches, and nations, and they also show up in the human heart. 

 Conflicts and agreements — can weave their way through every generation, every community, every life. And that raises a question we all have to wrestle with at some point:

 What causes conflict, and can we pursue peace?

 I believe 2 Samuel chapter 2 gives us an insight into both answers. This chapter is a story of a nation trying to find its footing after the death of a king. It’s a story of loyalties, rivalries, misunderstandings, and choices…. Choices that either build peace or ignite war. And right in the middle of it all stands David, a man trying to follow God faithfully in a world that is anything but simple….