Signs in Motion

The bumper sticker read "If you want Peace, work for Justice" and I thought to myself briefly "that's not a bad bumper sticker to have." I'm not one for slapping stickers all over my car and I would be very picky in doing so at all. I do read them all the time though on other peoples cars as I drive. Most are pointless negative comments or jokes and occasionally a bunch of rock bands or something will roll by. It's rare I see one worth noting, but this one caught my eye and sparked my thoughts. So I thought about what it claimed.

The claim being that by acting and bringing justice, peace can be had. While it sounds great it is both true and untrue at the same time. First one asks, "What form of justice and what form of peace? A secular or Christian form?" Second, I come to the conclusion that peace cannot exist on earth regardless of our efforts, ultimately. (It is a circular problem.) That we have a need for justice means that something needs resolved and corrected, but that something needs correction implies (and almost necessitates) conflict. So for peace to exist now conflict would have to stop, but conflict cannot stop because justice cannot be had without conflict so long as things are wrong in the world.

So in this world Justice is not going to ultimately bring peace, but potentially a just conflict could bring about a better world. Peace is an absence of conflict (or an absense of wrong if you like) and conflict will be around so long as people do not agree on (or live according to) right and wrong from an absolute source. Peace is also the state of having justice in life. So, what's the way to achieve peace then when this is all conflicting?

Consider that the true creation of peace on earth would require all people to fall under and follow one law. (It should be no surprise that I am looking towards God when I say that.) If peace cannot exist when conflict is a reality and justice implies a form of conflict then the only way to achieve peace is to remove the need for conflict. It seems like a vicious circle because of how we are trained to see it in accordance with our world today. The answer is to start at a life of "just" living. In this way people do not need justice in the current sense (that of backtracking to correct wrongs) but instead they never make wrongs and so conflict is never a necessity...allowing peace.

This is a view of heaven to me and a glimpse of how peace can be kept in such a place. A small insight into how things are supposed to be and one day will be. So look up, look inward, and look forward to that day.