A overdue promise

I was watching the documentary "promises", and tears welled in my eyes. It was such a good documentary, it didn't focus on shooting on the war torned Jerasulem, the kiling and being killed. It makes us think, as part of human nature, we always try to find shortcut for a rather complicated issue. But in this case, we have long come to realize that it is such a complicated issue tangled by clashes of culture, religion and ideologies and the peace mission if it ever materialize, will be a long bumpy road.

The world is not on childeren's hands, but maybe the hope of the peace is on the childern's hands. That is one of the key messages the film sends out. When the parties in the middle of the conflicts only get to see one sided stories everyday on TV, the hatred is natural. However, peace could never been won by war or carrying on revenge.

Peace, can only start from understanding each other (the differences and similarities), take part of the existence as given, remember the history but prepare to move on. And compromise and forgiving, it is part of the peace formula.

Chinese had a long war with Japanese during second world war, both nations suffered, as the invaders, the Japanese had to be held responsible for the war crime and killing of millions of Chinese civilians. And I am sure taking revenge has always rooted in some Chinese's mind, but is it something that should be encouraged and glorified? No, peace only starts when we are ready to reconcile and make compromises.

Peace in the middle east, such a remote dream to come true, and for the kids in shattered homes, that is a overdue promise. Our hearts all ache when we see the endless killing and destruction of ordinary life, but sometimes I doubt if the rest of the world has really done enough to help. Children, when their minds are still not tinted by one sided stories, could be something we put efforts on as a long term solution. In the end, I believe mind is more powerful than guns.