Peace, no matter what

It cannot be denied, though, that many among us do not want war anymore

There is really no reason not to pursue the peace process despite efforts by spoilers to distract the talks and derail these. The announcement coming directly from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process is thus cause of jubilation for many quarters. The silent cry for peace is finally getting through us even if some people continue to refused to listen to it, perhaps because of self-interest.

It cannot be denied, though, that many among us do not want war anymore. This is especially true for those living in the hinterlands, the areas where government services have failed to reach, and those who are tasked to serve the indigenous peoples (IPs) and God’s poor. I can sense also that even combatants from both sides are weary of the senseless killings, and want to live truly, genuinely peaceful lives with their families and friends back home.

It is really sad to think that we are wasting time, energy and talent on these worthless internal conflicts that are largely fuelled by the interests by some sectors on the country’s riches. Although, for those who are placed on the defensive, the Lumads for instance who are defending the integrity of their ancestral lands and their homes and families, and the peasantry who are wrongly accused of siding with revolutionaries, the right to protect themselves from aggression will always be justified.

But why is it that many people still believe the lies and the half-truth that mainstream media at times spreads? Truth is, whether we like to admit it or not, our society is being held captive by the wrong information we get from paid hacks, especially from the so-called established media that are controlled and operated by big business. They only have one thing in mind, and that is to pursue the profit motive, whatever the cost, even if people are being killed in the name of it. But now, we see that there are people in government who are genuinely concerned about the madness going on around us, and they see how they can help, with God’s providence.

As citizens, it is only right that we help in these efforts to restore decency and righteousness in the order of things. We have had enough of this madness. We should have learned from the many sad lessons of the past, and pursue peace now--not tomorrow but today, because there is no other time.

But how do we contribute to peace making? My favorite saint of peace, Francis of Assisi, said, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

Sounds easy… But we know real life is more complicated than that. With all the distractions that we get each day of our lives, especially from the pleasures that we get every second of the day from our hand-held gadgets that would not give us space enough to think, the work for peace is indeed a challenge.

Perhaps we can put down our gadgets an hour a day and think of or do something significant in the pursuit of peace. God gives us chances every day. We cannot waste it forever.--