Playground brawl politics #paris #peace #politics

Let me be clear at the outset; I am not condoning the attacks in Paris on Friday; or those in Beirut or Baghdad or Syria or Libya or Kenya or anywhere else!

But how governments respond to these attacks should not be the politics of playground fighting. One attack should not be followed by an immediate attack in retaliation!  Just as one punch in a playground should not be followed by an immediate punch in retaliation. 

We are desperately trying to teach our children to breathe and make good decisions when in conflict situations; and yet they see governments model the exact opposite.  And worse, our children see their governments attack the friends of their attackers and believe this is acceptable. This is not appropriate.  This will not lead to a world of peace for our children.

Our governments should be reflecting and mourning and and planning sensible ways of protecting themselves against the extremely small number of terrorists rather than attacking communities where innocent families become collateral damage.

The actions of France bombing Syria in retaliation will only breed hate; and hate can not ever lead to peace.

I understand the anger, fear and hatred; but hate should not breed more hate. 

Attack should not lead to attacks. 

The death of innocents should not result in the death of yet more innocents. 

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.
Hate multiplies hate,
violence multiplies violence,
and toughness multiplies toughness
in a descending spiral of destruction....
The chain reaction of evil --
hate begetting hate,
wars producing more wars --
must be broken,
or we shall be plunged
into the dark abyss of annihilation."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Strength To Love, 1963

Father of peace
I beg you today to be on the hearts of all those filled with hatred. Bring light into their darkness. Bring patience into their panic. Bring your love into the situations and let peace be the focus.
Amen.