April 2006 - Volume 10, Issue 9

Editorial – The Elusive Cure For War

By Rev. Mark Connolly

Photo of military boots

All of us know that one of the most elusive diseases we have in our world is that of cancer. If you go back over the centuries we have cured polio, we have cured malaria, we have cured tuberculous, but cancer is still the most elusive. That eventually will be cured. But once that is cured, we still have an elusive factor that must be cured. It is the desire to go to war. We know since Cain and Abel, wars have taken place in every family and in every country and every civilization, but when Pope Pius VI spoke before the United Nations in 1968, he made an unusual statement. He said, "we must work and pray in such a way that our thoughts will lead us to say, war never again, war never again." The words of Christ at the resurrection season pertain to peace. It is a reminder to each one of us that this is a personal challenge to all of us. Each one of us must work at it in our own individual way. Most of us know that we don't have too much of an influence on the turmoil in the Middle East. But most of us should realize that we have an opportunity in our own home to bring individual peace to each other.

All of us know there is turmoil in the Middle East and without trying to be a cynic, even if we found a temporary peace in the Middle East, we would probably be confronting another war in another part of the world. But that should never deter us from doing what we can as individuals to bring peace right into the confines of our own home. Yes, we would all like peace in the Middle East. Yes, we would all like peace in South America. Yes, we would all like peace in Africa. But when it comes right down to it, each one of us has the challenge and the opportunity to do our work for peace in the confines of our own home. This season of the Resurrection that we now celebrate is a reminder of a Christ who went through an agony, a scourging and a crucifixion and then a Resurrection so that you and I could experience the peace that he had in mind when he said, "my peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you".

Each one has an obligation to bring peace into his family and into his relationships with others. Each one of us can better our home life by a kind word, a compassionate act, a work of charity. Each one of us in our own way whether we are in an office or classroom has the opportunity to bring into the lives of others the same peace that Christ brought into the lives of His followers and friends. The Resurrection that we celebrate during this Easter is filled with many lessons - triumph over tragedy, love over hate, forgiveness over bitterness - these are the lessons that are incorporated in the beautiful Resurrection theme the whole Christian world celebrates. Yes, we would all love to have peace throughout the world, but that is only going to start not by those in the government or those in the Church, but in the minds and hearts of each one of us by trying to bring the peace of Christ to others. "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples", Jesus once said. By imitating the life of Christ, by bringing His charity, His compassion and His kindness to others, people will know that we are the disciples of Christ.

It might not really change the whole complexion of world peace, but if you imitate Christ wherever you are and bring his charity and love to those nearby, you can change not only the world around you, but the hearts of those living within that world. Over the years our country built better and bigger weapons of destruction and so did other countries throughout the world, but unless we start on a smaller scale, similar to what Christ did during the time in which He lived, unless we make it an effort to bring Christ to others by our actions, peace will always be absent not only in our lives, but in the lives of those whom we could have helped.