Peace is not only possible, it is inevitable
Memorial Day, originally designed to honor those who died in our bloody and brutal Civil War is, perhaps, a propitious time to think about peace.
For centuries religions have foretold a time of peace, a time when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation,” as it says in the Book of Isaiah. Unfortunately, people seem to have bought into the notion that aggression and conflict are part of “human nature,” and that peace is just a pipe dream.
Baha’i Scripture, however, gives us a very different picture of human nature.
“O Son of Spirit!” Baha’u’llah says. “Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.” With the understanding that nobility is our true nature comes also the recognition that we are capable of creating a society that is based on cooperation, mutual respect and reciprocity, a society that moves us closer to that elusive goal of peace.
The Baha’i Faith renews the promises of previous religions and assures us that peace will be achieved.
“And so it shall be, these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away and the Most Great Peace shall come,” Baha’u’llah assures us. However, this peace is not a gift that is just going to descend upon the world. Indeed, it is something humanity must work diligently for. What’s more, we have a choice about how peace will be achieved.
We find the following in “The Promise of World Peace,” a statement by the Universal House of Justice: “Whether peace is to be reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity’s stubborn clinging to old patterns of behavior or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will, is a choice before all who inhabit the earth.
At this critical juncture when the intractable problems confronting nations have been fused into one common concern for the whole world, failure to stem the tide of conflict and disorder would be unconscionably irresponsible.” (You can read the statement in its entirety by googling Baha’i—The Promise of World Peace).
More than 150 years ago, Baha’u’llah addressed the leaders of the world’s governments. Part of what He told them was: “The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must attend it, and participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundation of the world’s Great Peace amongst men.”
Those of us who are neither rulers nor kings are not absolved from doing our part in laying this foundation, however. We can promote peace by working to eradicate some of the barriers which stand in its way. These barriers include racism, religious strife, the lack of full emancipation for women in so much of the world, and the lack of access to education for all.
Baha’i author Justice St. Rain gives us a succinct list of nine ways we can all work for peace: “1. Convince ourselves that peace is possible — It is hard to work for something you don’t believe in; 2. Have faith in the human spirit — God gave us the capacity to live together in peace; 3. Study the causes of violence — War is only one of the ways humans oppress each other; 4. Strive for love and unity within our families — The family is the building block of civilization; 5. Try to think of people from other counties as members of our extended family — It is hard to be willing to let your cousin die; 6. Look for the similarities between religions—Every major religion teaches the Golden Rule and promises an age of peace, so why argue?; 7. Listen carefully to the voices of women — It is the feminine qualities of compassion, mercy and empathy which will make peace possible; 8. Make friends with someone from a different race — Much of the world’s violence is caused by racial and ethnic misunderstanding; 9. Work to improve the quality of education — The more we learn, the more we realize how much we have in common.”
I would add one more thing to this list: Pray for peace. There are many beautiful prayers for peace including the well-known prayer of St. Francis of Assisi and very moving prayers by Mother Teresa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. And, of course, your own heartfelt and sincere prayers are always acceptable to our Creator.
Peace be with you!
Nancy Flood-Golembeck is a retired teacher and longtime member of the Baha’i faith.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Peace is not only possible, it is inevitable
