Peace now
TIME magazine last week published a concise assessment of the recent United Nations’ Conference Against Racism. Written by Michael Elliott, it scathingly called the conference a disaster that was ill advised, poorly prepared, intellectually bankrupt and easily hijacked. It quoted Mary Robinson, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, as remarking that she was “disturbed and distressed by the vitriolic words and inappropriate content” on display.
The conference struggled to find grounds for consensus. The walk-out by the United States and Israel, the two participants whose cooperation could conceivably have been the most constructive, ensured that the dose of vitriol became potent enough to poison whatever positive work was achieved.
In the light of the monstrous terrorist attacks on the United States, this kind of poison is plainly spreading and taking a faceless shape that threatens all peoples everywhere.
Winston Churchill is reputed to have advised adversaries to “jaw” rather than to “war.” This may be the case when both sides have some hope of finding a pacifying compromise. The South African reconciliation process has become something of a golden example in that respect. It cannot be so when one side is set on the destruction of the other.
When any group not only despises another but burns with the desire to obliterate it, the progression from desire to word to deed is often swift. Christ warned: “A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart” (Luke 6:45).
The imprint of terrorism that was indelibly branded into the earth on September 11, will disturb and motivate millions. Christ’s counsel of filling the heart with goodness will not be readily heard. It is up to us to persevere in working and praying for peace in our hearts, homes, land and world.
Hearts at war must be converted to hearts at peace.
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