EDITORIAL

“… and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” ( Isaiah 2:3 KJV)

A World Yearning for Peace

BY FR ROBERT KINENA NDUNGU MCCJ | EDITOR

WAR CONTINUES to scar our collective memory, leaving wounds that run deep across nations and generations. There is an obsession with war, both locally and globally. The pervading philosophy of “might is right” is gaining ground, and survival of the fittest seems to be the order of the day. The sanctity of human life has been lost as we receive news each day of hundreds killed and communities annihilated by war and violence. According to Pope Francis, the violence we witness testifies to the violence in our hearts. It further manifests in our disordered passions and attachments, and what we worship. As St. James asks, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1).

Yet in the midst of conflict and war, voices of reconciliation are growing. A “new anthem” is being embraced by people worldwide. “No more war!” songs, poems, and messages are sounding across the globe. It is no longer about drumming for war but about standing out and facing the warlords and bullies. Even as poverty and violence threaten to overshadow progress, people of faith and conscience continue to believe in a future without war. Songs of peace are sung in places where bombs once fell, and prayers for unity echo across traditions once separated by mistrust. Slowly but surely, people are taking bold steps to eradicate war. There is a strong belief that humanity is good. There is an urgent thirst for a peace the world cannot give and cannot take away; this peace comes from Jesus (John 14:27). This is an enduring peace, even in the midst of wars and violence (John 16:33).

No one wants to be left behind in this watershed moment for world peace. Youth, in particular, are stepping forward with courage. They refuse to inherit cycles of violence and instead choose to build bridges of understanding. In the words of Pope Francis, Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive), the youth are causing a ruckus and courageously confronting dictators and other agents of war and violence. “I write to you, young people, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14). Their energy, creativity, and determination remind us that peace is not only possible — it is inevitable when a new generation commits to it.

This issue of our magazine challenges us to return to the beginnings of nonviolent movements and historical peace protests in the time of Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Desmond Tutu, among others, and to see how stories of interreligious dialogue that bridge divides, testimonies of forgiveness that defy hatred, and movements of healing can restore peace to our broken world. It also comes in the Jubilee of the 800 years after the death of St Francis, who played a significant role in fighting for peace.

In the final analysis, though war may appear inevitable, let us remember that peace is not passive but active — forged in dialogue, sustained by forgiveness, and carried forward by hope. Indeed, peace is not just a concept; it is a person, Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace. St Paul reminds us, “For he himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). Together, we can ensure that the cry “no more wars” becomes not just a dream but our shared reality.