War apparently seems a little word but its effects are like crumpling a paper that cannot be restored to its original smoothness!
No one is born with evil within. We are born, filled with love towards everyone and everything around us. But instead of just following our hearts full of light, we keep feeding ourselves with darkness over and over again. When did we stop to judge people by their personality and started to consider the colour of their skin? What urged us to acknowledge someone as an enemy just because of the place they were born in? Isn’t Earth the only place all of us were born in? Are the borders that someone has drawn on the map powerful enough to build in our souls the borders of prejudice, alienating us from each other? Yes, they are! As long as we let them be. As long as we teach our children to let them be powerful enough; to be instruments of peace.
When the world and this life are nearly destroyed by the evil and hate we spread, we would hardly care about the power we have towards others. We would hardly care about the God others are praying for, as long as those prayers can give us a chance to survive. So why won’t we stop caring about it right now, at this very moment? Why won’t we start making this world a better place by creating peace and compassion? And finally, why won’t we earn the right to look at our children’s eyes with the feeling of pride for the world we have built for them? Think about these questions and, no doubt, you will find the answers. Because the answers to these questions are buried deep inside each one of us. And we will discover those answers as soon as we dispel the dust of evil and hate from our hearts.
It is easy to watch the news at a time like this and feel powerless. But despite this latest flare up of hostility in the our land India, and with the help of people who believe in peace, we must together, now more than ever, be able to build bridges, overcome prejudice by replacing it with face-to-face knowledge, and thus ensure a better future for ourselves and our children.
Making enemies into friends isn’t easy. It means taking risks, making oneself vulnerable, and reaching out to those who other groups give up on, or don’t even try to involve. But by cultivating an approach which is truly different, which utilises the power of religion as a force for peace and compassion instead of conflict. We all have been taught that fighting is no good, be it one to one or in a group of people or nations.
Why do we fight? Has anyone got an answer to it? One might state different reasons, but to be reasonable none of the reasons are valid or carry any calm decision. All the reasons circles to one reason of greediness, of being more powerful, having more success than others, and the need to rule. In simple words, it is all about power, glory, and territory gain.
Profound words of Pope Francis. Lord of the nations, and God of all peace, pour out Your Spirit in rich measure on those in high places and low, who continue to seek peace during this time of war. Protect them from hate and violence; open their ears, their mouths, and their hearts to pursue the goal of peace.
