Wisdom War

I have fallen in love with the book of Ecclesiastes and so we will start there. Here are some highlights from chapter 9:11-18:

“the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong…mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them…The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.” (BTW, I had to look up bungler so dictionary.com says it means: To work or act ineptly or inefficiently)

At this time we are allegedly done with the war in Iraq, we are still in Afghanistan, and there is the looming threat of war with Pakistan and Syria. Just so we all know, we are in the year 2012. I am saddened by the existence of war for global change. There seems to be more and more a push toward war so that the Western world can finally see the implementation of a democratic governance system where commodification, rather than Spirit or God or Humanity, lies at the center. It’s a war to acquire things.

Relieving human suffering seems to be an after thought, if it is a thought at all when it comes to modern day war efforts. Why have we gotten to this point when a Nobel peace prize winner (President Obama) can make a speech about justifiable war? What has happened to bring us to this point? Well, GREED. As the reading says, it takes one idiot to mess it up for everyone (not President Obama, I don’t think he’s an idiot at all. I’m thinking someone like a general terrorist–Timothy McVeigh for example scares folks into thinking that they need war to fix things and violence to quell violence). The truth is that we can only rely on one thing: Wisdom from those on the front line of all that we fight for and against; the mother who’s son dies; the poor man that has lived on the streets for most of his life. It is their stories that we should use for understanding how we should be in the world, what policies should be implemented. Wisdom-which for me is a connection between your spiritual and intelligent self; recognition of what has happened and what is possible- this is really the best weapon on the planet.To use what we know coupled with what we feel, if we are tapping into our positive emotional being, then there would be no war or it might take a different form.

WHAT WOULD AN ACCEPTABLE WAR LOOK LIKE?

probably more like a restorative justice meeting than what we know today. Picture it:

A group of world leaders in a room, praying to what they believe, meditating on their inner spiritual self on the same question for about two hours. This would be followed by a writing exercise where they reflect on what was coming to them. The leaders would break into groups of two and share what they have thought and learned, focusing on their commonalities rather than their differences. After this difficult morning of inner reflection, the leaders would break bread together and not talk about whatever argument they are engaged in, telling their personal stories of how they got to where they are. After all of this, they may spend months coming up with a decision that isn’t the best situation for anyone, which means that we may be closer to the best situation for everyone.

Here are the ground rules for the war I envision:

1. I am important, but my way is not always right
2. Truth is malleable
3. The peace of the whole may make me uncomfortable, but will bring piece to the parts
4. Preach always, if necessary use words (thanks Adrian Dominican Sisters)
5. I have two ears and one mouth.
6. Admit and accept any harm you have done to another person.