I am not the first, nor will I be the last, to suggest the phrase “wage peace” as a counter to waging war. A commitment to resolving conflict nonviolently is surely more difficult than waging war and therefore deserves the same verb — “wage.”
After all, the primordial instinct to punch you in the face is easier than explaining to you how wrong I think you are and that I intend to stop you from proceeding by any means possible short of killing or maiming you and your followers.
At least it sounds difficult. As a matter of fact, we wage peace every day as we go about our lives. The vast majority of us today will not commit violence or crimes against any of our fellow humans, let alone wage war, a crime against humanity itself.
“It’s human nature,” some will say, “you will never eradicate war from the earth.” You’re probably right, and maybe I will never finish that challenge, but I can nibble at the edges and get the job started for others to finish when I am gone.
Jesus got the ball rolling when he said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Treat your fellow human with the same kindness and respect you hope to be afforded yourself. Surely you do not wish to be killed or maimed, and so make a commitment not to kill or maim your neighbor. The idea sounds ridiculous when you’re talking about your next-door neighbor, but every victim of war is somebody’s next-door neighbor, isn’t she? Isn’t he? Aren’t they?
