In Memoriam

Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace. -Martin Luther

I wish I had more time to write on about Memorial Day and its significance. But as words will not suffice in any case, my ramblings here will have to do.

Yesterday S and I finished up a series on the 1st through 3rd crusades, as well as we followed along with the breaking news story that international relief workers in international waters were killed for a blockade breach between two nations in a similar type of predicament as those Christian and Muslim peoples at the turn of the last millennium. We also spent our lunch hour talking about why we are thankful for our veterans and our military, from the technological advances wars have yielded, to the brotherhood and sisterhood that can ironically result within and between warring nations and ethnicities who share the common bond of warriors.

Still, especially among those who fight wars based on pure philosophy, I am not sure what convinces us that self-preservation or preservation of a self-interest (like our personal religious faith and the political power that comes by theocracies) is what is righteous to a God who calls us to be sustained only by his/her/its power, a power that, no matter how much impact we can have in human war, is far greater than our own "power" can ever be.

While I do not advocate a physical war of any kind, I do admire those persons who may hold different opinions from me and back up those ideals with action and truly selfless sacrifice. I admire persons whose work may benefit a society or race of people aside from their own family and close circle, such as the work of a military in a diverse nation like the US. I am saddened that we do not reflect more before taking the lives of others, but I am heartened that even in a pursuit as ruthless and distorted as the Crusades, the most well-respected leaders of both Muslim and Christian armies were those who compromised, honored their opponents, and knew the true value of refraining from violence (Salah Ad-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub/"Saladin" allowed Christians occupying Jerusalem to live when he came to power in the holy city, and later Richard the Lion-Hearted would not allow his depleted army to attempt a siege of Jerusalem, reasoning their imminent fall in such an endeavor.)

If I could ask one thing of all peoples, those who do not claim a faith (which is a form of belief, regardless) and those who do, it would be to reflect, pray, be still, to turn inward prior to blame, and to recognize that all our power, property, and ability to change the world lies within changing ourselves, and only ourselves, to align more and more on the side of peace.