Peace Is a Personal Problem

ALTHOUGH it may seem to be an over simplification to say so, peace is a personal problem. It is a personal problem, because keeping peace among families and friends and neighbors is a necessary prelude to keeping peace among strangers. Would it not be unreasonable for us to expect statesmen to keep peace in far places if we were unable or unwilling to do it in our own homes, or in our own towns, or in our own back yards, so to speak? Would it not be unreasonable to expect them to keep peace among peoples of different outlook and background and history, if we were unwilling or unable to keep peace among people whom we have known and lived with all our lives? Would it not be unfair for us to expect anyone to keep peace for us among strangers if we were not able and willing to keep peace between neighbor and neighbor, between employee and employer, between brother and brother? The principal problems of the world reduce themselves essentially to the problem of getting along with people. And all this we must remember before we expect too much of the men who work for peace, and too little of ourselves. They cannot wrap it up and bring it home to us as a surprise package. There is something of its making that must come from us. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” This was affirmed by the Prince of Peace and by prophets who preceded him.