When Jesus said "blessed are the peacemakers" we assume that he was speaking of much more than the absence of war. He invited and still invites us into shalom, the peaceful balance of every aspect of our being.
The people who create the annual Global Peace Indicator would agree because they use 23 criteria in their ranking of 144 nations. http://www.visionofhumanity.org/ Canada is in the top ten percent of peaceful nations at number 14, but last year we ranked 8th.
New Zealand is apparently the most peaceful place on the planet and I would love to go there and find out. Iceland and Japan were close behind, although that whole volcano thing would make a difference for me. The United States is 85th. It doesn't surprise me that Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan and Pakistan rank at the bottom. Just above them is Israel.
You might be interested to know that I wrote about this index last year and a few weeks ago I got an email from the organization asking if I was going to do so again this year. Big, Peaceful, Friendly Brother is watching!
Do you find these indexes interesting, or a snore? They fascinate me, and I wish we had crept up rather than down on the list.
Looking at that website made me think deeper about the true meaning of peace. Living in a affluent, democratic nation my thoughts of peace often turn to more selfish indicators which perhaps reflect more on "peace of mind (and spirit)" but looking at the list of indicators that make up the Global Peace Indicator show the stark reality for those living in dangerous and poor nations where their minds must be occupied with a much bigger Peace,the kind that when it is absent has grave consequences. Looking at the list is a good reminder of the gift we have received by living in Canada.
ReplyDeleteJFK says that we should be interested in peace because it is the most important topic in the world. (I think Jesus would agree.)
What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children – not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women -not merely peace in our time, but peace in all time.” - JFK’s ‘Strategy of Peace’ speech
Thank Laura. An eloquent response.
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