Is world peace possible?

I was doing research for another story when I came upon this hymn. It moved me deeply beyond any professional choir singing it. It’s real. They are given a moment of peace in all the heart-wrenching noise of the Korean War. It is sung by the members of M.A.S.H., which stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. For the benefit of those who have never seen the TV series, it focuses on the tragedies of war, and how the characters use comedy to deal with its cold realities.

For a few minutes there are no bombs. No sound of gunfire is heard. Colonel Sherman T. Potter, who is the commander of M.A.SH., says as snow falls, “All of a sudden, this place is pretty.”

The Christmas truce is broken by a soldier arriving with a truck full of the wounded.

Song of Peace is a partner song with Dona Nobis Pacem. It was written by Mary Donnelly and arranged by George L.O. Strid in 1991.

“If I could have one wish come true,
It would be peace for me and you.
Peace in our hearts and peace of mind;
peace now and ever for all mankind.
So may our voices never cease.
So may we sing our songs of peace.”1

Enjoy some peace in the busyness of the Christmas season. Please say a prayer that echoes the thought in Isaiah 2:4, NIV. “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”— Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Then, there is this realistic viewpoint on world peace.

“Is world peace ever going to be a reality? Sadly, likely not in our lifetimes. But that does not mean we should give in to despair. Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it — always.’”
—Jane Goodall

Karen and I pray for Christmas with your family to be filled with peace. Enjoy the gift of loving one another. Think what a better world it would be if we all worked a little more at doing that.

Perhaps, if we had a blending of the idealism of world peace with its hard realities, one day it will be possible.

Sources:

1. https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=76840

Dr. Kevin Osborne is the Dean of Psychology and President of Student Affairs for St. James the Elder University. Dr. Osborne is a doctor of theology candidate through SJTEU. He is s therapist, writer, poet, and singer. He helps people in their inner healing journey. Dr. Osborne lives in Timmins, northern Ontario, Canada, with his wife, Karen. She is the Registrar for SJTEU. Karen has a B.A. in Clinical Christian Counseling summa cum laude from St. James the Elder Theological Seminary (now St. James the Elder University). She plans to pursue graduate studies. Karen is a writer, editor, and counselor.