WHAT IS PEACE

Thomas Merton in New Seeds of Contemplation chapter The Root of War is Fear. Not sure about the page numbers I was working off my Kindle.

"If men really wanted peace they would sincerely ask God for it and He would give it to them. But why should He give the world a peace which it does not really desire? The peace the world pretends to desire is really no peace at all.

To some peace merely means the liberty to exploit others without fear of retaliation or interference. To others peace means the freedom to rob others without interruption. To still others out means the leisure to devour the goods of the earth without being compelled to interrupt their pleasures to feed those whom their greed is starving. And to almost everyone else peace means the absence of any physical violence that might cast a shadow over their comfort or pleasure. (a little editing in this paragraph).

Many have asked God for what they believed was peace and wondered why their prayer was not answered. They could not understand their prayer was answered. God left them with what they thought they desired, for their idea of peace was just another form of war. This is one of the consequences of the corrupt idea of a peace based on a policy of  'every man for himself' in ethics, economics, and politics. " (again a bit of editing) Merton was a great writer but there were times when never met an adjective or and adverb he didn't like.

This was written in the sixties at the height of the cold war. Merton's was a strong voice against the idea that any country could defend its people and way of life by destroying both itself and the enemy. Along with the rest of their neighbors.  I don't believe there was any plan on the part of the US or the USSR to ask the rest of the world if they wanted to be reduced to radioactive ashes or end up glowing in the dark. Or their own citizens for that matter. Left that it to the science fiction authors to imagine the days, years, centuries after.

And especially the birds, bees, fish, animals, trees, flowers.  All the other citizens of this world who know nothing about the politics of humans and end up on the  firing line anyway.