In Search of Peace essays

In Search of Peace essays What the world needs today is a civilization based on love and compassion, and not on competition. A civilization that is not dying to be victorious, but which is keen to live with peace. Nowadays terrorism, war and human killing are in vogue. Powerful nations control the less powerful nations as their right. Humanity is suffering at the hands of brutal politicians. There is no peace in the world and within the self. Innocent children are asking their parents, teachers and friends what is going on around them. Everybody is in search of peace. Where is peace? The world religions long ago defined peace as individual responsibility for the wellbeing of others. Let us remind ourselves of that forgotten lesson and reflect on how everyone of us individually can contribute towards peace in the world? Let us briefly survey the concept of peace given by the world religions. Peace means freedom from war and unrest. In ancient Hebrew thought, peace was not only the absence of war, but also the wellbeing, if not prosperity, of people. A famous passage which appears twice in the Bible (Is: 2-4 Mi. 4: 1-3) describes "... all nations are going to Jerusalem to learn the divine law; beating their swords into plowshares and their spear into pruning hooks, abandoning their swords and learning war no more." The study of Israelite traditions shows that peace was a social concept. It was visible and produced harmonious relationship in the family, in local society and between nations. The salutation shalom expressed positive aim of encouraging friendship, cooperation and living together for mutual benefit. The New Testament defines peace as "an orderly obedience to the eternal laws of God", so peace in the God's city is the perfect union of hearts in the enjoyment of God (19:13). The salutation of peace frequently appears in the New Testament. In the Quran, the Arabic word Salam has been used for peace. It has been generally used as a greet...