Let there be peace on earth
It is deep into December and just a few days before school Christmas holidays, 1959. From the little community of Baynes Lake in the East Kootenays, we have rode the school bus about 50 kilometres to the slightly larger community of Jaffray.
Both are somewhere between Cranbrook and Fernie. The bus ride is an adventure in itself as the snow piles up against the Rocky Mountains, covering the roads and hillsides in a wonderland! The driver has to negotiate windy snowdrifts, icy conditions and some steep hills, not to mention big herds of deer and elk that look like white ghosts as they cross.
My class has practiced many times now for the evening Christmas concert along with other classes to form a choir where we will sing, “Let There Be Peace On Earth.”
But, I am afraid. Not afraid of the song or the choir performance on stage, but of the fact I know my father will not be there. He has developed quite a severe illness and has not been able to work since October. Early in December he has been taken to a provincial hospital for more treatment. Our family of eight does not know when he will return.
That evening, my mother and I along with an older sister attend the concert with a neighbour. My mother does not have a driver’s licence. I wait a little nervously despite knowing all the words and suddenly we are on…. there have been many wars and “rumours of wars.” Indeed, we have developed enough military technology to destroy our Planet Earth many times over. Fortunately, for me and all of my immediate family, we have never been required to participate in any of them having been born during or after the Second World War. But, there still have been many gruesome and very ugly battles.
Think of the Vietnam War, the Arabian Gulf Wars and current Afghanistan technological battles. The obliteration of the New York City twin financial towers proved that war and terrorism can happen anywhere. Indeed current Christmas narkets seem an appealing and easy target. Hundreds of thousands have died in the time period after the Korean War. Yes, that many.
We cannot continue like this as the Earth begs for environmental money to clean up. My little choir continues… at all. We sing on…
Even if you choose to not believe in God or that Jesus even existed (easily proven), surely, we all wish for personal, family, and even world peace.
What could you do as an individual to help this happen before this year ends. First be a peace with yourself ... put aside the past and look to the future. Then reach out to a family member to reconcile ... phone and leave one word, “coffee?”
Forget petty hurts. World peace may be the toughest with international security threats. But, try to be aware of your country’s military spending and how it is decided. Ask for more input and lobby politicians. In our high-tech communication world this is all easily done. My choir sings more vigorously as we come to the last verse…
The day before Christmas my father catches a Greyhound bus for home. He takes most of a day to get there. The bus drops him at the Highway 93, Baynes Lake turnoff. He walks the five very cold, snowy miles into Baynes Lake. He has no winter boots and little for winter clothing.
We are delightfully stunned to see our father standing at our back door. And our hearts are warmed. May you warm the hearts of those around you and work for peace of any kind.
Merry Christmas.