Peace on Earth

A time of quiet. Calm. Peace. Moments to think and feel. Secure. Not hungry. Embraced by family, and friends, too.

When asked what I want for Christmas I have often stated “World Peace.” And I meant it then as well as today. It is not easy finding world peace. Not when so many distrust others and range defensively behind walls, weapons and armies. And navies and air forces as well. So much energy and treasure arrayed to protect against enemies known and unknown. So many people placed in harm’s way so others may feel secure. Feel safe.

Peace on earth ought not be a hope. It ought to be a reality. It should be the end result of our faithful dealings with other nations throughout the globe. It should be a natural outgrowth of our diplomacy and tact. We respect others. We hope they respect us. Together we work on things that matter to both of our nations. And we make good things happen. For everyone.

Seems a simple matter. But it is not.

There are bullies in the world. There are those people who don’t feel good about themselves unless they feel superior to others. They niggle and tweak things to create dissension. They magnify that dissension. Until it is a problem large enough to exercise power. Sovereignty. Defensive systems.

You know the rest. Unnecessary ill will. Unwanted disagreements. Easily understood and managed most of the time. It takes goodwill to do this, to manage the disagreements before they become a war of words and then of bullets or missiles. Goodwill. So basic and yet so easily misunderstood.

Many think goodwill is a weakness in the international sphere. I don’t. I think it is human, basic. It is simple to understand. It is simple to proffer to others. Even if they turn it down it works magic. Eventually. They see others as friends, not enemies.

Not so if our attention and efforts are solely focused on defense, difference and disagreement.

Focusing only on those elements creates complexities beyond comprehension. Like the Middle East. Like the Israel and Palestine. Like Putin and the rest of the world.

Peace is simple. Mankind’s handling of it is not.

Maybe the simple draw will us into fresh thinking and simplification. Maybe then we will experience peace on earth?

December 25, 2014