DON'T JUST LOVE PEACE - MAKE IT!

Throughout my own life time there has been a litany of conflict, Vietnam, Northern Ireland, Bangladesh, Israel, Yugoslavia, Eritrea, The Falklands, Rwanda, Rhodesia, The Lebanon, Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq. At times there is simply too much information, it’s easier to look away, not think about these things. But today we remember. We remember those who died in war. We remember those whose lives have been affected by war. And we take stock of the cost of conflict.

The reality of war comes with very mixed emotions. We want to recognize the immense courage shown by those participating, those many acts of self-sacrifice made by ordinary men and women. But we also want to acknowledge the cost and the ambiguity of war.

Going to war is never a straight-forward matter of good against evil. Warfare brings with it a whole host of moral dilemmas. When is it right to take another human life? What is an acceptable degree of force? How far should you go to protect innocent civilians? When is it right to interfere in the internal affairs of another country? All too often we leave these matters in the hands of politicians, but politicians need to reflect the position of those who elect them. We need to get involved in those debates, to bring a Christian perspective to bear on them.

Now, as Christians we won’t all be in agreement. There are some who hold that there can be just wars, some who are pacifists. But we bring a certain common perspective to the debate in particular that all human life is important, that each soul is precious in the sight of God. In which case, war must never be entered into lightly, and the conduct of war bears a heavy responsibility. And we have a duty to remember, as we are this morning those who have died, to commend them to Almighty God.

And we can also speak of the cost of peace, of the sacrifices that need to be made in the cause of peace. All too often this is forgotten. The cost of war is obvious in terms of lives lost, homes destroyed, peoples displaced. The cost of peace tends to be hidden behind the closed doors of the protagonists, but that doesn’t make it any the less costly.

We are told ‘Blessed are the peace-makers’. Archbishop John Sentamu points out that it is peace makers who are called blessed, not peace lovers. He says ‘Peacemakers make something. Peace lovers wait for something to happen, hoping that things will turn out all right. Peacemakers take risks. Peace lovers want to enjoy the absence of risk, so they leave the action to others.’

Now once upon a time I was an historian and history is littered with examples of how much peace making can cost. Contrast, for example the peace settlements at the end of the first and second world wars.. At the end of the First World War, the victorious allies demanded huge reparations from Germany. Lands were seized, payment demanded, Germany had to be made to suffer, to shoulder all the guilt and payment for the conflict which was known as the Great War. But that so-called peace settlement led to political instability in Germany, hyper-inflation, rampant nationalism and the rise of Hitler. It led inexorably to an even bloodier conflict, the Second World War.

Contrast the settlement at the end of that war. Rather than the whole German nation being made to pay, individuals were made accountable for their actions through the Nuremburg War Trials. The United States recognized the parlous state of German infra-structure and through the Marshall Plan gave aid to rebuild. That fore-sight, generosity and magnanimity led to 60 years of peace in Western Europe. In 1945 and the years following, peace was made.

The resolution of other conflicts demonstrates the same point. When we look at Northern Ireland or South Africa for example, it’s apparent that people of good will have to be prepared to take enormous risks in the cause of peace. The risks taken by members of the peace movement in Northern Ireland were clear to see. But behind the scenes leaders from all sections of the political divide had to be prepared to talk and negotiate with the enemy, often at considerable risk, not just to their own reputations but to their lives as well. They had to be prepared to compromise, to give up cherished ideals. in the cause of peace.

In South Africa, peace has been made through the peace and reconciliation commission. It has worked by expecting people to be honest about confronting their own prejudices, their own misdeeds. Their honesty has helped to make peace.

And in recent years too, we’ve seen the work of the United Nations peace-keepings units. They’ve stood between warring factions, often in frustrating circumstances. Throughout they are a sign and a symbol that there is another way to resolve conflict that does not involve violence.

We are unlikely to be called upon to be members of a United Nations peace-keeping force, or to take part in the long rounds of negotiations which lead to peace settlements. But there are things we can do that are nearer to home. We, too can be peace-makers in our own families and communities. It can be a costly route requiring self-sacrifice. But by modelling peace-making at a familial and local level, the Christian community can have a wider impact. Small acts accumulate into a larger whole.

And by being peace makers we honour the memory of men and woman who have died to make the world a better and a safer place. Our Peace making actions become a fitting act of remembrance.

Rev Penny Sayer

Curate, St John the Evangelist, Pevensey Rd, St Leonards on Sea