The Recovering Farmer

Thursday, July 24, 2014

World Peace

For some strange reason the words World Peace came to mind. I am reminded, and not quite sure why, of beauty pageants where contestants talk about world peace. The desire to have world peace. Not that I watch beauty pageants. Perhaps I have heard it in another context. Not sure. For what I am about to say it really doesn’t matter.

Conflict has been and continues to play a significant role in life. In a global sense we watch as countries seek to find dominance in some way shape or form. We have the conflict involving Israel/Palestine. We have increased conflict in Iraq. Syria continues to make headlines. North Korea every so often raises its head. In Africa. In South America. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t learn of new conflict.

Closer to home we find conflict in how the flood is or isn’t being handled in the proper way. We hear of how people, not in power, criticize how issues are being dealt with. From the increase in provincial sales tax to the upkeep in streets. From municipal taxes for community centres to drainage regulations or the lack there of.

In our personal lives we see conflict happen with relationships. Parents running into problems with kids. Kids having problems with parents. Brothers and sisters fighting. Family members not getting along. Marriages breaking up. A debate over same sex relationships. Infighting in churches. Communities. The list becomes endless.

Even in moments of leisure we get involved in certain conflicts. GO BOMBERS. Will leave that one for the time being. Admit it. There are times when you watch hockey you find yourself hoping for a fight and when it happens you find yourself cheering. For one side or the other.

So I try to keep up with news. I like to know what is going on. However it seems that whichever news source I see there tends to be a certain political tilt to it. And I use the word tilt quite loosely. I check Facebook regularly and find people jumping on certain issues quite freely. They choose sides. I find that rather troublesome.

Perhaps it is my work. Trying to find solutions during the day and creating conflict at night. Oops. That is not what I meant, although my wife would be in full agreement with that sentence. Have you ever taken a moment to analyze what happens when you choose sides? Based on my experience one’s view becomes jaded. Obviously it would. In that moment of choosing sides we lose the ability to recognize, understand what the other side is all about. The natural response is to become consumed with all that is wrong. The injustices. It has the ability to blind us to the big picture. In fact, it can breed further hostilities.

So if you really want one side to win keep cheering for them. Extoll their virtues. (GO BOMBERS) But if we really want world peace, to stop the injustice, to stop the murder of innocent women, children and men, we need to take a different approach. Here is a novel idea. Instead of taking sides, instead of condemning the side we don’t agree with, take it upon yourself to embrace the side you love, agree with or are siding with. And in that embrace suggest to them that should they hold back, should they cease and desist, perhaps we can find an end to the conflict. Perhaps we can find peace. World peace. Make it a good one.

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