This article has been chosen as a Making Sense of These Times
  FIVE STAR PIECE  

This is a concise and cogent call to peacemakers: "Let's share ideas – feed each other with our thoughts and actions."
-Suzanne-

Anton Philips
The Netherlands

My first reaction to the attacks was: wipe out those who caused it. And then—after some days—I realised that is not the Christian way to respond. We pray: forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespassed against us. Christ said: love they neighbor.

Today the whole world is our neighbor.

But how much do we care, my friend?

The death of 5000 people is terrible. But how many people, women and children, starve to death every year? Killing Bin Laden will resolve nothing. It will make matters worse. It will increase the fury in the hearts of those who see America and the Christian countries as the cause of injustice in the world.

The only security we can have is the love and friendship of our neighbors.

The challenge of the 21st century is as great a challenge as bringing the answer to a divided world at end of World War II. As great the class war, as the Cold War. Answering with violence now is as irresponsible as it would have been to start a hot war with Russia during the Cold War years.

What needs to be done?

1. To show that we understand what causes their fury. And to be willing to accept responsibility for the part that the Western nations have played, if not in causing the unequality, poverty, disease and hunger, then at least for our indifference in allowing it to continue. And to express it.

2. To do endless times more than we have done in the past to right what is wrong. "There is enough in the world for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed"; "If everyone cares enough, and shares enough, everyone will have enough"; "Empty hands will be filled with work, empty stomachs with food." And hearts filled with hatred must be helped to forgive, hatred and fear to be replaced by love.

If you agree that this is what needs to happen—than what can we do? How can we make these ideas heard? How can we use the stories of the past—stories of honest apology, forgivesness and healing? The Forgiveness Factor is more relevant than ever.

Can we feed our ideas to people of influence—Christian leaders, politicians, people in the media? Every one of us may be the one who with an idea or action that can have a decisive influence. Let's share ideas—feed each other with our thoughts and actions.

Anton Philips (anton.philips@worldonline.nl)

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