Opinion

Peace comes as we find room for God

Posted January 06, 2011 10:00 pm

To achieve peace there are three primary things we can resolve to do in the coming year: 1) We can declare victory. 2) We can confine war to history. 3) We can resolve to not allow war to contaminate our future.

This effort can be universal. We all need to help win the peace throughout the world. We have been told to forgive our enemies and do good to those who hate us. We cannot continue to ignore this and treat it like an impractical nightmare. It is the dream of God as enunciated by Jesus.

Let’s work to eradicate militaristic vengeance and start by refusing to equate revenge with justice. The personal choice each of us has is clear. Inhuman, disgraceful acts of inhuman atrocity that displace diplomacy and ignore the revised International Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners and Noncombatants, signed by the United States on July 27, 1929, in Geneva, will multiply suicidal terrorists who target our troops.

A rational discovery of God and a clear vision of peace is what the world needs because it has confined reason to an ever-widening range of shortsighted selfish greed and self-defeating violent conflict. During the Christmas season, we have honored the Prince of Peace once again. Our gift does not have to be gold. It can be as simple as a child’s donation to an online organization like “Pennies For Peace.”

George E. Bedingfield

Arlington Heights

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