Editorial: On Easter, may Golden Rule relieve global tensions – Peoria Journal Star

As bombs drop across the world and the stage is being set for more of the same, again comes Easter, the holiest day on the calendar for the planet's 2.2 billion Christians.

Though born of a violent and tragic moment in world history Jesus' execution on the cross, at the demand of the angry mob and on the order of a finger-in-the-wind politician it is a day of joy, a celebration of conquest over death itself. Many will go to a church service today that explores the transcendent themes of resurrection, renewal, forgiveness, hope and optimism that accompany the holiday.

Much as time passes centuries, into millennia those themes, the best and worst of them, seem on an ever-repeating loop. Much as we might try to escape it through the warmth and sunshine and color and life of spring exerting itself all around us, the sometimes ugly reality of the world won't stop intruding. Contemporary, unpredictable Pontius Pilates abound, washing their hands of accountability for the events they set into motion.

In Syria, 59 U.S. Tomahawk missiles rain down on an airfield in retaliation for a chemical attack on Syrian civilians, allegedly the victims of their own government, roundly denied by the people in power there. In Afghanistan, the "mother of all bombs" for some reason, there seems an obsession with its size is dropped on a maze of tunnels reportedly occupied by an unmistakable enemy, ISIS.

Certainly we hope the intelligence is accurate, the motivations for our suddenly-more-muscular foreign policy pure, the analysis of the effectiveness of our actions honest, the roar of the crowd in some quarters muted. Indeed, if the 21st century so far should have taught Americans anything, enthusiasm for these foreign endeavors is not the proper response, much as they are sometimes justified.

Meanwhile, in waters off the coast of the Korean peninsula, U.S. battleships move into place to counteract the nuclear adventures of a long-hostile regime. China, that North Korean regime's benefactor and enabler, warns of "storm clouds gathering" unless the protagonists and antagonists pull back: "We urge all sides to no longer engage in mutual provocation and threats, whether through words or deeds, and dont push the situation to the point where it cant be turned around and gets out of hand.

Alas, the history of mankind is replete with things getting "out of hand," to which Easter itself testifies. Might we invoke a variation on Luke 23:34 in hoping all involved know what they are doing, so that they may feel no need to seek forgiveness later? When they don't, well, the consequences have been known to reverberate forever.

Most of the world's religions have a "Golden Rule" or some version thereof fundamentally, treat others as you would wish to be treated often recited, not so often practiced. Is there a better day than Easter to remind ourselves of that command?

Christian or not, may people of good and unselfish intention across the globe prevail in these oh-so-tense times. May our biggest worry today be whether the White House can pull off its annual Easter egg hunt tomorrow. And may we never stop delighting in the giggles of the kids and grandkids, who seem to appreciate Easter more than anybody. Enjoy the day, everybody.

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Editorial: On Easter, may Golden Rule relieve global tensions - Peoria Journal Star