PEACE?

In a conversation recently with some friends, we were discussing peace, and whether it is an attainable goal. One friend of mine said two things of interest.

“Men have been trying forever to create peace. There are always those who will destroy and undermine the efforts of making a peaceful world. For these reasons, I see no incentive for supporting peace efforts. They are a lost cause.”

Two things immediately struck me about this statement, and maybe you feel the same as I do. Read on.

First, “there are always those who will destroy and undermine,” does not seem to me to be a feasible excuse for not attempting to create peace. What follows is a narrative about Bob Marley of which I have heard, but not found any written evidence for. Nonetheless, it voices the opposite perspective to my friend seamlessly.

Singer/songwriter and reggae genius Bob Marley was the target of an assassination during his career. He was shot, but the bullet missed any crucial organs. At the hospital, he asked for release because he had a concert the next day. The doctors released him from the hospital against their better judgment, and Marley went on to perform in the concert the next day. After the performance, he was asked by an interviewer why he left the hospital and chose to risk his health and perform. He responded with something to the effect of “The men fighting to make this world destructive are not taking a day off, and so neither can I.”

This is my point. People struggling to create a chaotic world are invigorated and energized by the possibility of those doing good, as it offers a new target of sabotage. Why can’t the reciprocal relationship be true? Can the presence of evil in the world energize peace-makers rather than enervate or discourage them?

Second, “men have been trying forever to create peace.” Really? Trying? Are we trying to create peace as courageously as we try to solidify our careers? Are we trying to encourage reconciliation as vigorously as we try to catch television and movie premiers? Do we demand peace as often and as strongly as we demand cell phone service, web access, satellite reception, and amenities for ourselves? The answer is clearly “no.” We receive successfully what we demand. It is not harder work to create peace than it is to create a blog. It is just refocused work. If we did indeed demand peace as intensely as we can demand these other things, it may have been attained right now.

Even if I am wrong, the fact that it has been demanded in the past does not make it a null point of interest today. People have always demanded new technology and better economic standing for all of history, the fact that we haven’t perfected it does not discourage anyone in pursuit.

Think today: Do I demand peace and reconciliation as intensely as I demand other things?