God’s rebuke to his people as recorded by the prophet Jeremiah – ‘they have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, peace, pace, when there is no peace’- seems very appropriate for today.
While political leaders are keen to emphasise their commitment to peace and peacemaking, how often do we see war as a last, rather than a first resort? Despite unspeakable human loss and suffering caused by war throughout history – and especially over the last century – we are no more inclined to seek to resolve disputes through non-violent means than we ever were.