The Face of Mercy / Daniel Conway

Jesus brings peace through gentleness, not violence

(En Espanol)

Pope Francis continues to speak out forcefully against violence and war in Ukraine and other areas of the world. War represents a failure of humanity and a betrayal of the peace and harmony that should characterize relationships among nations and peoples every day.

In his Easter message, “urbi et orbi” (“to the city and the world”), the Holy Father said:

May there be peace for war-torn Ukraine, so sorely tried by the violence and destruction of the cruel and senseless war into which it was dragged. In this terrible night of suffering and death, may a new dawn of hope soon appear! Let there be a decision for peace. May there be an end to the flexing of muscles while people are suffering. Please, please, let us not get used to war! Let us all commit ourselves to imploring peace, from our balconies and in our streets! Peace! May the leaders of nations hear people’s plea for peace. May they listen to that troubling question posed by scientists almost seventy years ago: “Shall we put an end to the human race, or shall mankind renounce war?” (Russell-Einstein Manifesto, July 9, 1955).

Easter is the “new dawn of hope” that we long for, the acknowledgment that Christ is risen and has restored peace to our weary, war-torn world. But in order to embrace the peace of Christ, all of us must stop “flexing our muscles.” We must learn to dialogue with those we disagree with, and we must learn to forgive and pray for those who have offended us in any way.

You can sometimes hear the frustration in Pope Francis’ voice as he pleads for a change of heart among world leaders, and all of us. “Please, please, let us not get used to war!” the Holy Father cries out.

Getting used to war means stockpiling the weapons of war, including weapons of mass destruction. It means being suspicious and adversarial in our dealings with those who are not our allies. And it means being cold and indifferent to the plight of millions of people who are either displaced in their home countries or forced to flee to other nations as refugees.

The peace of Christ is never indifferent to the needs of others. It does not accept violence and warfare as inevitable among nations.

As Pope Francis said during his general audience on April 13:

The peace Jesus gives to us at Easter is not the peace that follows the strategies of the world, which believes it can obtain it through force, by conquest and with various forms of imposition. This peace, in reality, is only an interval between wars: we are well aware of this. The peace of the Lord follows the way of meekness and mildness: it is taking responsibility for others. Indeed, Christ took on himself our evil, sin and our death. He took all of this upon himself. In this way he freed us. He paid for us. His peace is not the fruit of some compromise, but rather is born of self-giving. This meek and courageous peace, though, is difficult to accept.

The peace of Christ is not easy. It requires a total conversion of mind and heart. It demands that we let go of our need for vengeance. It means that we must disarm—literally and figuratively—and be willing to embrace one another as sisters and brothers united in the one family of God.

And yet, Ukraine and other victims of unjust aggression must defend themselves, and we who love justice and peace must help them.

How can we help? Pope Francis is not unrealistic. He knows that other nations must provide the people of Ukraine with the means to resist an enemy who has demonstrated a total disregard for innocent human life and for the sovereignty of a free people. Still, the Holy Father reminds us that our first responsibility is to “wage peace” using the weapons of Jesus. As he reminded us during his April 13 audience:

Jesus’ peace does not overpower others; it is not an armed peace, never! The weapons of the Gospel are prayer, tenderness, forgiveness and freely-given love for one’s neighbor, love for every neighbor. This is how God’s peace is brought into the world.

This Easter season, and always, Pope Francis pleads with us to be genuine peacemakers.

“Let us all commit ourselves to imploring peace, from our balconies and in our streets!” Let us cry out, using every forum available: Peace!
 

(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †