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The Catholic New World
Observations - by Tom Sheridan, Editor

January 2, 2005

Peace in pieces?

Let’s take the faith-history story of Epiphany and fast-forward it two millennia, plus a few years. What do we get?

Well, we get the three wise men wandering from the east from Persia following a star to Bethlehem seeking the Prince of Peace. Of course, their route went through what is now Iraq and the wise men would be well-advised to keep their turbaned heads down and avoid roving bands of insurgents, Iraqi police or American forces.

I suspect that none of those aforementioned groups, all armed and dangerous, would be particularly welcoming. The image of three guys on camels dodging machinegun bullets and rocket-propelled grenades while seeking the source of peace is disconcerting.

And it’s more than a little disconcerting that in those more than two millennia we haven’t learned to better practice what we claim we preach: peace on earth.

What we have learned, sadly, are ever more efficient ways of slaughtering each other, whether for revenge or resources, religion or revolution, or just because we don’t like the way someone else thinks, believes or behaves.

Apparently, we all want peace so much that we are willing to kill each other for it. And if that’s not the height of irony I don’t know what is.

However, the voices pleading for the message of Jesus, the object of the wise men’s journey, are at least as persistent, if not as successful. (See Cardinal George’s column, Page 3.)

Popes have been among the most consistent voices for peace, recognizing that peace is an inherent part of what we say we believe.

Pope John Paul II, the man whose spiritual and intellectual weight helped crush communism, has been nothing if not persistent in his criticism of the folly of human violence. His unhappiness with the American-led war in Iraq is well-known—and ignored by many American Catholics. In fact, in one of the pope’s talks on Christmas Day, he said, “With great apprehension I follow the situation in Iraq.”

He’s hardly alone in his apprehension.

And in his annual message on peace (See story on this page), the pope again reminds us that if we do not seek peace violence will overtake humanity.

“At the beginning of the New Year,” he said, “I once again address the leaders of nations and all men and women of good will, who recognize the need to build peace in the world. For the theme of this 2005 World Day of Peace I have chosen St. Paul’s words in the Letter to the Romans: ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ (12:21). Evil is never defeated by evil; once that road is taken, rather than defeating evil, one will instead be defeated by evil.”

The pope is hardly naïve, thinking that a world so steeped in violence will be converted by a few pleading words.

He recognizes that war is stirred by poverty and ignorance, encouraged by lack of access to such advances as technology which improve the human condition, and inflamed by crushing national debt.

And even the Prince of Peace cannot create international harmony without salving the human condition.

But it is perhaps easier to talk about peace in the world than personal peace. This is the time to make (and as often, break) New Year’s Resolutions. Most are rather self-indulgently personal: stop smoking, eat less, exercise more, etc.

How about a resolution to be more peaceful, at home, at work, at play? Or is it too much of cliché to remember the words of the song: “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me”? Hey, it’s a start.

Nor is it too far from other words the pope spoke over Christmas, words I think the three wise men would surely understand: “Everywhere, peace is needed.”

Tom Sheridan
Editor and General Manager

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