Turning the other cheek seems difficult at times, maybe all the time. It takes a lot of self-restraint not to retaliate when someone insults you or even physically abuses you. It's part of our animalistic human nature to want to fight back. We're belligerent like all animals and we react to hostility with typical fight-or-flight behavior. Society often considers it cowardice to walk away from conflict.
War is the default position of all nations when faced with adversaries that threaten their national interests. The exchange of violence escalates, followed by eventual all-out war. Nations aren't supposed to forgive each other's injustices. They are supposed to, by our current cultural traditions, passed down from generation to generation, respond with equal or greater violence.
Joshua ben Joseph taught the most radical method of dealing with injustice ever presented to the world. Instead of fighting fire with fire or the passive acceptance of abuse, he taught fighting evil with good; to conquer war with peace. He taught us to conquer hate with love, to conquer theft with generosity - if someone steals your coat, give him your jacket. Wouldn't it be amazing if nations responded in a similar fashion when confronted with another nation's dysfunction?
All societies on Earth have outlawed murder as an acceptable method of dealing with disagreements, but so far the world has not even opened up the discussion of banning war as a method of dealing with international conflict. This shows we have a long way to go before there is real lasting peace on Earth. But it will happen. That's where faith comes in - the confidence in the eventual triumph of the best in us over the worst in us; and the courage to push forward in the face of opposition.
Though it may seem a far-off hope or even a pipe-dream to believe in a better, more enduring world of global peace, many things have happened in the last century that were once thought impossible. Flight was considered impossible and now we have thousands of airplanes making trips every day. We've even sent men to the moon, an achievement that actually wasn't possible a hundred years ago.
Our marvelous technology has propelled us forward but our failing religious institutions are in need of an upgrade and an update. We can no longer live in an international, scientific-age and still dwell on the passages of ancient texts, searching for answers to our modern problems. The solutions are often based on who we say we are - if we say we are a world divided by sects, ethnicity, creeds, colors, races, nations and religions, then we will always be divided.
However, if we recognize our mutual humanity, our shared history, our common ancestry and our future destiny, we can become at once united. If we realize our human family and recognize our divine creator, we can become united. If we share our common love of our brothers and sisters, we can be one in the spirit of togetherness and peace. If we know our divine parent loves us all infinitely, then we can become aware of the infinite and become part of eternity. Our banner is always Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All.
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