Law, Not War? Rather, Love! (By Peter Black)

He and his wife have given millions of dollars for charitable purposes, yet they live in a small, modest bungalow in Florida. Ben came to North America from Eastern Europe in poverty and said he plans to finish his life that way.
 

Benjamin Ferencz.
Credit: Washington Post

His wife suffers from dementia, and his attentiveness and presence helps comfort and keep her stable. When he’s absent from her side, she misses him greatly. And so, this retired lawyer turns down numerous requests from around the world asking him to address conferences and speak at universities. That’s love.

Credit: Washington Post

Ben (Benjamin) Ferencz is the last surviving prosecutor of the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials that were held shortly after the end of World War II. At only twenty-seven years of age he was appointed chief prosecutor of the Nazi extermination squads, considered the biggest murder trial in human history. Now at the age of ninety-seven his passion for peace-making burns as fervent and bright as ever!

Ferencz was Anna Maria Tremonti’s guest on CBC’s The Current, on Tuesday, March 21, 2017. I listened, intrigued by his personality, life and passion. He doesn’t take vacations, but continues to educate, inform and influence others as best he can, even though no longer touring the world. His mantra asserts that “Law, not War” and persistent education and resolution of conflicts is the better way. Armaments won’t do it, he insists.

Ben Ferencz’s passion reverberates in my mind today and somehow interacts with my own thoughts and journey during this meditative season of Lent.

Inter-church Lenten services are held in my community. I’m inspired by them and thoroughly appreciate fellowship with people from other denominational affiliations.

Sure, we may differ in some doctrinal particulars and practises. Fact is though, that God is not beholden to me and neither are those people. But, I am beholden to God and it is incumbent on me to recognize His grace as extended towards and expressed through those who believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour, who gave His life and shed His blood to redeem us from our sins and reconcile us to God.

I feel the warmth of fellowship “in Christ” with many, regardless of race and colour, and we mutually embrace each other as Christ-followers. That’s also love.

We hear much about mistrust, anger and hate directed towards “the other,” in our society and in the world at large, today. In harmony with Mr. Ferencz, I acknowledge that information and education can play a part, and that laws banning expressions of hate and hateful acts might help.

Trailer Credit: maxresdefault ; YouTube

I admire and appreciate what I’ve learned of this remarkable human being, Ben Ferencz. The film, A Man Can Make A Difference, tells his story. I’m sure the world is a better place because of his passionate commitment to justice for all.

Laws prescribe standards of behaviour, from domestic levels to international affairs. But will well-meant and well-worded laws change hearts? Surely the best laws are those that are indelibly inscribed in hearts and demonstrated through lives well-lived with understanding and practical love for others.

Jesus Christ’s accomplishment through the cross declares that self-giving and loving actions can help change attitudes and outcomes and can break down the walls of suspicion and mistrust that divide.  And yet, even He met with fierce opposition that led to His crucifixion and death. But was it not really His Divine love that held Him to the cross?

May the love of God our Father, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, transform hearts today.

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Peter A. Black lives in Southwestern Ontario. He writes a weekly inspirational newspaper column, P-Pep! and is author of Raise Your Gaze ... Mindful Musings of a Grateful Heart, and Parables from the Pond. ~~+~~

 

 

The Work of Christmas has Begun/MANN

It’s the end of January. I took my Christmas tree down yesterday and put away all the visible evidence that Christmas even happened at our house. However, in Jim Strathdee’s song, “I am the Light of the World”, he claims:

“When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and the shepherds have found their way home, the work of Christmas is begun."

How then do I work, or facilitate someone else, to carry out the work of Christmas?

Looking at my list of errands on Monday morning, I realize that opportunity is within reach. Over Christmas, our church had collected homemade mittens, scarves and socks for kids who have to leave in the night, and head for a shelter with their mother. Every time I ring the bell on these doors, I think of these words:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me" (Matthew 25:34).

Also on my list is a visit to our local school to take two bags of healthy snacks—gifts from our church’s outreach. A child, perhaps not hungry in the early hours of the morning, will enjoy a snack later in the day.

As a recipient of someone giving me information about a person with whom I’d lost contact, I’m able to visit an 85 year-old-woman in a local extended-care facility to renew a friendship. And later in the week, I’m given the free time to take an old friend a scarf I’d knit.

I’m aware that not all situations are geographically close enough to personally continue the work of Christmas: a woman from a nearby community is being held by Mexican officials; a family grieves the eminent death of a daughter, mother and sister; a grandchild is lost on city streets. The list is endless, and for some I can only pray.

The cruise ship tragedy is a story that I’ve been following. When I read the words, ‘As shaken survivors speak of a “mad rush” to evacuate the ship, and criticize the crew’s preparedness and slapdash emergency procedures . . . (Internet news account), I am left trying to imagine the feeling of overwhelming panic and crushing fear that must have consumed the passengers: children, women and men alike. Perhaps my only way of continuing the work of Christmas here is to shy from judgement, wait for justice and pray.

In all of the situations mentioned above, perhaps our greatest challenge is remembering Jesus’ words of relationship in appreciating women who learn to be strong in their personal situation, men who work to fulfill their individual responsibility and children who grow up watching them both.

©Linda Wegner

THE BEAUTY OF DIVERSITY

For the past three weeks I’ve been a participant in Diversity Conversations, a pilot project designed to address discrimination in all its ugly forms. It’s been a challenging yet meaningful time as five of us, plus two facilitators, looked at our individual biases. The diversity of our backgrounds alone provided fodder for discussion: there were two Jewish participants, two government employees, someone from a mixed marriage and an evangelical Christian. Our discussions have been intense yet we’re unanimous in our condemnation of hatred and discrimination of others who do not look or believe the same as we do.

Yesterday we invited a few friends over for lunch following the morning church service. It was one of those unplanned but thoroughly enjoyed events. During the meal the conversation turned to global economic challenges (what conversation doesn’t these days!). That, of course, turned naturally to the election of President Obama, and quickly shifted to the matter of the election of an African American. Once more the topic of racism and discrimination became the centre of conversation and once again we talked about our individual roles in a society that so easily judges a man or woman by outward appearance.

Through all these times and events the threads of an old Sunday School chorus keeps running through my mind: Jesus loves the little children/All the children of the world/Red and yellow, black and white/They are precious in His sight/Jesus loves the little children of the world.

The questions the ancient sage, Job, asked remain the same: “If I have denied justice…what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” (Job 31:13-15)

God despises injustice. We’d better do the same!