Walking in the Valley A weekly column for those who live and walk in Silicon Valley by Barbara Dahlgren

Peace in Our Time Column for the week of April 21-27, 2002

archives |

printer-friendly version

In referring to the violence between the Palestinians and Israelis, President George Bush said, "The storms of violence cannot go on. Enough is enough." But is peace between the Israelis and Palestinians even a feasible possibility in our lifetime? What could President Bush do to bring peace between two neighboring countries with two totally different views on just about everything? Not to mention a history of hate that runs so deeply between these nations that it make the Hatfields and McCoys look like bosom buddies.

Read, hear or watch the President's speech.

I guess I don't understand war. I still have that Robert Fulgum "all I need to know I learned in kindergarten" mentality. You know, play fair. Share. Don 't hit people. Don't take things that aren't yours. Clean up your messes. Say you're sorry when you hurt someone.

But you can't play nice and share unless both parties want to. It requires someone willing to listen to reason. And you can't reason with an unreasonable person. Unreasonable people don't want to be confused with the facts. Sometimes they believe in a certain cause so greatly that to accomplish it, hatred and lying are justified in their minds. British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain found that out in 1939. You've probably seen the footage of him getting off the plane after meeting with Hitler in Germany, waving a signed treaty and saying, "Peace in our times." Yeah, Hitler wanted peace, all right. He wanted a piece of Poland, a piece of Czeckeslovakia, a piece of France, and a piece of anything else he could get his hands on. And the rest, as they say, is history because World War II did occur shortly afterward.

What is peace anyway? One meaning is freedom from war, a law and order. If one nation conquers another, the conquered peoples would live in submission to the more powerful and be unable to fight. They would be a policed so they couldn't fight. But just because you take away someone's ability to fight doesn't mean you have true peace. As long as one group feels oppressed, their will to fight will rise again.

Peace also means harmony, accord, and end of hostilities. It would be wonderful to achieve this by following that kindergarten philosophy. But that would require two parties at odds with one another to make concessions and compromise. Perhaps forgive. It's not easily achieved.

Then there is peace that is a quiet calm, a serene tranquility. This peace takes place in a person's heart and mind. It doesn't really depend on the actions of anyone else. It comes from God. It transcends all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) It's "why the caged bird can sing," as Maya Angelou writes. This kind of peace is available to all who ask it of God. Jesus can be our peace.

I feel for those at war and pray for them. The sad fact is that the Israelis and Palestinians will probably not achieve peace in our time, unless something miraculous occurs. No amount of mediating, reasoning, or discussion from the U.S. will bring that about. But we can have a peace in our personal life; a peace that passes all understanding; enough peace to make it through one more day, one more hour. All we have to do is ask for it. (Matthew 7:7) Jesus is the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) If we allow it, He can be our "peace in our time."

©April 2002

Be sure to visit this page every week to read the next edition of Walking in the Valley. You can write to the author at bydahlgren@aol.com.