Offering Peace

A good friend of mine recently traveled to Ukraine to encourage some friends who are working with a ministry that provides medical care and needs for those in war zones. He sent a picture of a street in Kiev that was lined with pictures of their fallen soldiers. Seeing that picture of so many young men lost once again to war was heartbreaking.
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War has been a reality for almost every nation that has walked 

Bonnie Piovesan

the earth. People fight over every imaginable thing they can think of, land, resources, people, and of course pride. Hearing that North Korea was sending troops to help Russia against Ukraine, and all of the horror happening in the Middle East, makes me wonder why people even answer the call to arms.

In North Korea, I doubt they have a choice about where they go or who they fight, they simply do as they are told. Some nations see something they want and they rally their populace to go seize their neighbor’s goods no matter the cost. Other nations answer the call to arms to defend themselves and simply survive. Sadly, many nations follow an ideal of religious fervor and declare their call to arms as an act of worship. Sometimes the call to arms is a worthy call, like defeating slavery or tyranny. Yet all too often, I see older leaders directing war from the safety of their castle and sending their young out to die for their desires. War has been such a constant part of the human story that I am not sure if there will be a day when the call to arms is no longer needed on this earth.

Thankfully, in the US, we have not drafted soldiers into the military since the Vietnam War. Our men and women now answer the call to arms on a voluntary basis. Our veterans chose to serve their country willingly. Some saw the benefits of discipline and education, others sought adventure, and some chose to defend those who could not defend themselves. Some of them have worked faithfully in peacetime and others have borne the burden of the battlefield.

Our veterans have ensured that I did not have to bear arms against an enemy myself. They have shielded and insulated me from the day-to-day grief of war. I have only had to experience these tragedies from pictures or videos or a few eyewitness testimonies of loved ones. There is no way to express my gratitude for this. Seeing pictures of fallen soldiers, or the many monuments in DC, my heart is overcome. How would I be able to bear witness to the actual battlefield?

Every Veteran’s Day I look forward to being able to give back some of the immense gratitude I feel for the many men and women who have answered the call to arms for my country. Perhaps the best way to show my gratitude would be to serve as an agent of peace.

Could I offer peace in the day-to-day conflicts of my life? When my neighbor is hurt or offended could I stop to listen? When someone from the opposite political side calls names could I invite them to remember the human behind the name? Instead of hating the people who do awful things in the world, could I pray for them? When someone is facing a tough moral decision can I offer love and understanding without advising them to death? When someone cuts me off on the road can I offer a smile instead of anger? Helping to resolve the little conflicts I encounter could be my tiny seed of peace in a big world. Perhaps my small acts of peace will call me to a different kind of arms. The kind that battles in prayer and fights with kindness. The call to love my enemies and pray for those who misuse you. If I act in peace, maybe there will be one less person calling for war.

Thank you to all the veterans who answered the call, may God grant you peace.

In His Name, Bonnie