Guiding Light on the Road to Peace

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 9, 21 December 1929, Page 13 (Supplement)

Guiding Light on the Road to Peace

Is the Long Quest Ending?

.(By

“Lector”)

nHE wise men of long ago were led by a star to the dwelling place of an ineffable peace in the heart of a busy little town on a turbulent day of celebration. We are told that their Bi. long y ears o f s t U( Jy ant ] research culminated in their recognition of a new light in the heavens, a new means of guidance, following which, after a long journey, they reached a very humble spot—a stable hard by an overcrowded inn, with its smoky lamp suspended from a cord slung from corner to corner of the blackened rafters. They expected to find a regal monarch but found instead a little child. But they had knowledge and insight. Their gifts were not wasted, but used aright when they were laid at those infant feet.

It was to Him who had been called aforetime the Prince of Peace that they made their offerings, and the whole of the familiar story is symbolical in the highest degree of what has remained, and remains to-day, the end and aim of human endeavour for the well-being of the world—the arrival at some point of existence wherein the sovereignty of peace will hold undisputed sway; at a place where swords will finally be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks and the nations shall learn war no more; at a place wherein “The war-drums beat no longer and the battle-flags are furled In the parliament of man, the federation of the world.”

THE MANIFOLD REVELATION Studying the ancient records, one is impressed by the fact of the different means by which the revelation was given to those of widely differing training, upbringing or degrees of learning. One contrast in particular stands out in sharp relief. Here, on the one hand, we have the Magi, those Eastern astrologers, steeped in ancient lore, probing, searching, calculating, weighing evidences with trained minds throughout the years, and gradually reaching they conclusions until they were finally rewarded by the sight of the sign for which they had looked so long. That may be said to represent the scholars’ approach to truth and light. Then we have on the other hand the old, familiar story of the simple shepherds, ignorant, untaught, naive, to whom the revelation was made in one burst of glory. In one passage of what is possibly the most beautiful English ever penned, in words that are for ever inseparably linked together in the heart and mind with Handel’s magnificent music, we read concerning the shepherds: "And there were . . . shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And 10, the dngel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” It was an unexpected revelation, in other words, to simple men, in such terms as they would appreciate and be impressed by. There was no theorising about it, only acceptance. They were not scholars, but wayfaring men whose instructions were so clear that they could make no mistake. There we have the contrast, and there we see how the paths of learning and of simplicity converged and met at the same point.

A PARALLEL A clear parallel may be drawn between that double situation and the present state of the world; for the desire for peace that will be sure and lasting in the world is abroad, and all kinds of means have been and are being utilised to ensure a safe arrival at the place where peace will no longer be a pious aspiration but a definite and concrete reality. On the one hand the best brains of the picked statesmen of the world have been exercised during the years since the Great War in an earnest endeavour to study the signs of the times and to cast the human horoscope in that regard. .Research, discussions, proposals, treaties, negotiations, have all had as their chief end and aim the creation of the peace mind. And on the other hand there has been the open mind of the general run of mankind, uninstructed in the niceties of diplomatic negotiations, but longing with a vague yet real yearning for a way out from the morass of blood and slaughter that war entails; a simple expectation that possibly somehow, while one does one’s daily duty and leaves the intricacies of involved discussions to those best able to deal with them, a way will be found whereby lasting peace may come.

INTELLECT v. INTUITION

The parallel may be expressed in another way. There are those who, like the wise men, require a long time to make up their minds, who have to go a long way to reach their conclusions, who must sift the evidence and examine every step of the way to peace, who have been trained to take nothing for granted but to test every new suggestion as it emerges, and who in general have to undergo a considerable amount of trouble, before they can settle down to a sure acceptance of facts. And everyone knows that there are people of the opposite type who have never been trained to make any investigations on their own behalf, having neither the qualifications nor the inclination, but who are nevertheless willing to realise the truth of what is brought clearly before them by other means, and to pursue it wherever it may lead them. The wise men and the shepherds might nowadays be called the governors and the governed. The point is, however, that the reasoned conclusions of the savants are no more valid, when truth is clearly seen, than the intuitions of the untaught. AN EXAMPLE FROM HISTORY One may choose the following example, taken almost at random from history. In the case of American slavery, volumes vere written, long speeches made, discussions took place and researches were undertaken by those who wished its abolishment ; and these were all valid and useful, and played their own part in putting an end to the disgraceful traffic in human lives. But no less valid and valuable was the flash of insight that came to young Lincoln when he saw the beautiful Mulatto girl being put up for auction and when he turned to his companions and said: “Boys, let us get out of this. If ever I get a chance to hit that thing, I’ll hit it hard.” It was the difference between academic procedure and direct action.

One or other might have achieved the great object, but both together converged to the same point. .Popular opinion, roused to a flame by the touch of the fiery Lincoln, in co-opera-tion with what men who had studied the whole question for a life-time felt to be true, won the day and the slaves were free.

NO MONOPOLY The point of this is that so far as the question of peace is concerned, no one has a monopoly of the guiding light on the way to it. The common intuition and desire of the man in the street is as powerful to bring the day of peace on earth nearer as are any of the most abstruse deliberations of the world’s wise men. For truth in this connection is truly like a star, that can be seen by high and low, powerful and humble, great and small alike. In the eye of truth herself, indeed, there are no destructions amongst men and women at all, except that there are those who see the light and follow it, and those who do not.

THE INDIFFERENT MOB One more glance back to the old, familiar picture. There were also in that busy little town of Bethlehem many who were utterly indifferent to or ignorant of the stupendous event that had taken place; who cared for nothing of that kind, who were out to look after number one, who minded their own business and saw to it that they themselves were comfortable and secure amidst the crowd. That is still true. There are multitudes who do not care one snap of the fingers for the issue of the endeavours made to secure peace in the world by national means, and like the poor, such will always be with us. But the generality of mankind to-day is learning its lesson, that every shoulder must be put to the wheel and every energy employed and every noble enthusiasm aroused to ensure that the achievements of civilisation will be preserved to the coming generations and not drowned in the blood-bath of possible future wars. HOW? As to the means whereby peace is to be secured for the modern world, it is difficult to be dogmatic. Some would allow the conscientious objector to bring it in his way. It is inconceivable that that way would bring peace. Some would allow the race for increased armaments to go on. That spells enormous risk. But so long as the desire for peace persists, a middle way will be found; and it would seem that no better way is necessary than that which is at present being pursued—namely, that by the constant and earnest intercourse of the statesmen concerned, they should arrive amongst them at a peaceful and peace-loving understanding.