PEACE

White Ribbon, Volume 22, Issue 4, 1 May 1950, Page 1

PEACE

An Add oss by Rev. E. B. S. MILLER

It would be trite to say that we desire peace. No man in his right senses wants war./ For war is destructive, physically, mentally, morally and no good has come from it. It means a great struggle to combat war, for it is easier to create the conditions that lead to war, than to peace. War leads to extinction; peace to life eternal. If peace is to be found, it must be found by man himself, it must really grip his heart. The first force, then, in securing peace is by getting peace in man’s own heart. This is vital. Too many of us live in a state of great unrest. There seems to be war going on almost continually in some lives. Feelings of anger, jealousy, resentment fill their hearts and they fly off at the first provocation, and say and do things which injure their fellow men. If you enlarge this situation to an international scale you find conditions that make for wars. The real trouble lies in human character; men are wanting in moral and spiritual fibre. They are, as we say in a physical sense, unhealthy. As the first concern of an army is the physical fitness and the morale of the individuals who comprise it, so the first concern of Christian forces must he the character of the individual. There is imperative need for Christian soldiers who possess clear vision, srrenc minis and understanding iiearts, and above all, the righteous faith that compels action. As we go forth in that spirit, beseeching God to cleanse our hearts of the vile contamination of war, and praying Him to renew a right spirit within us toward our fellow men, we are surely

taking a step in the right direction towards the establishment of permanent peace in our world. The churches, irrespective of denomination, must attack the causes of war. Tli/-” must stand for the maintenance .*! good faith and the honouring of the pledged word. They must resist the pretensions of imperialistic power and promote the reduction of armaments; they must combat indifference and overcome despair in face of the futility of war; and they must point Christians to that spiritual resistance which grows from a steady faith and a sound conviction. . It is our duty as Christians to talkpeace, not war. We should seek unity at -home and abroad, that peace may he found at last. We cannot do this in our own strength, but we can pray to be strengthened by the power of Christ, so as to accomplish His design among the nations. For He is the Prince of Peace and the Risen and Living Head of the Church. In organisation we find a step toward World Peace. It begins with the individual, the local church, and goes through and up to the World Council of Churches. Also through the Peace Treaty and U.N.O. much can he done to promote peace. Our great task as Christians is to make ourselves the channels through which the Peace of God shall he made known to the world. In the words of Dante: "In His will is our peace." God’s message to the world will be carried through lives that are ready to span all differences that create strife at whatever cost may he required. —Canadian White Ribbon Tidings.