| Editorial: A peace for both war and the days beyond
One of the most common sentiments we have heard expressed from all sides during the war debate has been a desire for peace. But what do we mean when we say ‘peace’? It seems that ‘peace’ has become a term of some ambiguity and equivocation. We all sort of assume that we know what we mean by peace, but we never really bother to define it and wonder about what we’re really seeking when we long for ‘peace.’
A fundamental assumption about peace is that it means an absence of conflict. This is perhaps one component of it. But peace is not merely an absence of conflict – peace is the presence and preservation of justice.
As such, peace cannot be found simply by avoiding war or, oppositely, engaging in one battle to prevent another. These conditions may lead to a state of peace, but avoiding a war does not ensure peace any more than perpetuating a war does.
Peace is established not simply through an absence of conflict but by the establishment of a system that makes conflict impossible. A situation in which conflict is a possibility or probability is not a peaceful one – rather, it is cautious and fearful of how a chain of events may unfold, and is therefore inherently distrustful.
The situation we find our nation involved in is far too nervous to be considered peaceful. There is always the uncertainty of what the next day or even the next hour may bring. We may hear of victory, or we may hear of massive casualties. Even when an area of conflict is ‘secured,’ there is still no assurance that the situation is ‘peaceful.’ Conflict ebbs and flows, and battles are rarely over even after bullets stop being fired.
The establishment of peace is the establishment of a trusting community, one in which people are comfortable in their environment and confident of the desires and goals of the people around them. Peace defined this way appears somewhat homogenous, but it is not; diversity thrives under peace, so long as there is a commitment among all the people that diversity that exists brings variety and potential, not alienation.
To that end, peace also necessitates democracy. A state in which there exists oppression, inequity, or basic unfairness is not a peaceful system. The presence of any of these things means that there is a violation of trust and an anxiety of conflict.
If we truly desire peace, then we in fact desire a whole host of conditions necessary for peace to be possible. We demand a democratic polity that recognizes the essential, objective worth of each person, and the goodness contained therein. Yet we demand a judicial system that adjudicates responsibility for evil actions and takes appropriate measure both to punish the evil and prevent its future propagation.
Sadly, this means that all of our human institutions are not peaceful. We find nowhere and no time in human history where conflict was not a potential, where trust was in continual violation, and where diversity was frowned upon and essential worth was not seen.
Does this mean we have no method of seeking peace?
By no means.
If we as Christians desire and seek ‘peace,’ what we are really seeking in true essence is the very purity and core of the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is all the things we have mentioned here: calm, trusting, democratic, just, and completely holistic in its focus.
The peace of the Gospel leaves no stone unturned, and yet it seeks neither an escape from life nor a miring in life’s sin. It is the great inverter of power and conflict: it humbles the proud and makes great the meek. And it is an all-consuming fire: it is not satisfied if any of the essential categories we have described are left wanting. When we are called by Christ, we are called to these things, and in doing so, we are brought to peace.
Therefore, we may indeed say we want ‘peace.’ But if we are true to our calling as Christians, what we really mean by that desire is that we want an uplifting of the Word of Christ, and an ever-increasing awe of His majesty, power, justice, and truth.
This may not answer the question for us of whether we should be pro- or anti-war, but it does suggest a very powerful course of action: great care in whatever view of our conflict we hold, and no matter our path, a dedication to continual humility and prayer.
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