It gets so that a person doesn’t even want to open the newspaper any more. The headlines scream violence and hate, and the grim stories describe death and destruction. How much more can this sad earth take?
As I write this, the big story is the assassination of Iran’s military leader, Qassem Soleimani at the order of President Donald Trump. Weaponized drones launched missiles that snuffed out General Soleimani’s life in explosive fire and fury. Multitudes of Iranians are now calling for death to America while condemning Trump as a war criminal.
I’m sick of it. I hope you are too.
I long for peace. My prayer is that you do too.
A particular privilege granted to me is that I serve on the Governing Committee of Project Ploughshares (ploughshares.ca) – the peace research institute of the Canadian Council of Churches. It focuses on disarmament efforts and international security, specifically in the areas of the arms trade, emerging military and security technologies, nuclear weapons, and outer space security.
Project Ploughshares gets its name from the Bible verse that says, “[The Lord] will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”
If you are convinced that ploughshares and pruning hooks are much better than swords and spears (or guns and missiles), please become informed about the threats to peace. Start by looking at the insights gathered on Project Ploughshares’ website.
Then, make your desire for peace a subject of conversation with your family and friends. Help them understand the challenge our world faces, and assist them in catching the vision of a better way.
Finally, share the peace you wish for with those who represent us at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill. Lord willing, a movement of peace will begin, and the production of tools of peace will start to take the place of the manufacture of weapons of war.