2. Peacemaking

World Scripture

He brings together those who are divided, he encourages those who are friendly; he is a peacemaker, a lover of peace, impassioned for peace, a speaker of words that make for peace.
Digha Nikaya 13.75, Tevigga Sutta (Buddhism)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5.9

If two parties of believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them. And if one party of them does wrong to the other, fight that wrong-doer until it returns to the ordinance of God; then, if it returns, make peace between them justly, and act equitably. Lo! God loves the equitable.
Qur’an 49.9

During the short eons of swords, They meditate on love, Introducing to nonviolence Hundreds of millions of living beings. In the midst of great battles They remain impartial to both sides; For bodhisattvas of great strength Delight in reconciliation of conflict.
Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti 8 (Buddhism)

Rabbi Baruqa of Huza often went to the marketplace at Lapet. One day, the prophet Elijah appeared to him there, and Rabbi Baruqa asked him, “Is there anyone among all these people who will have a share in the World to Come?” Elijah answered… “Those two will have a share in the World to Come!” Rabbi Baruqa asked the newcomers, “What is your occupation?”

They replied, “We are clowns. When we see someone who is sad, we cheer him up. When we see two people quarreling, we try to make peace between them.”
Talmud, Ta’anit 22a (Judaism)

After all the kings had been seated and perfect silence had ensued, Krishna, possessing fine teeth and having a voice as deep as that of a drum, began to speak, “In order that, O Bharata, peace may be established between the Kurus and the Pandavas without a slaughter of the heroes, I have come hither. Besides this, O king, I have no other beneficial words to utter… Know, O thou of Kuru’s race, that those wicked sons of thine, headed by Duryodhana, abandoning both virtue and profit, disregarding morality, and deprived of their senses by avarice, are now acting most unrighteously towards their foremost kinsmen. The terrible danger [of universal slaughter thus] has its origin in the conduct of the Kurus. If you become indifferent to it, it will then produce a universal slaughter. If, O Bharata, you are willing, you may be able to allay that danger even yet, for peace, I think, is not difficult of acquisition. The establishment of peace, O king, depends on you and me. Set right your sons, and I will set the Pandavas right.”¹⁰
Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva 95 (Hinduism)

I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could.
Mohandas K. Gandhi (Hinduism)

We are asking the nations of Europe between whom rivers of blood have flowed to forget the feuds of a thousand years.
Winston Churchill¹¹

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

Antagonism has no place in God’s love, only unity and harmony. In light of this, you can understand what the Bible means in saying that peacemakers will be called sons of God.
(Way of God’s Will 3.2)

How patient is God, who has been enduring for millions of years? We, too, need to possess His patience. I’m not saying we that should never fight. But there is a right time to fight: when we can fight for the benefit of both sides. We should not fight those who oppose us seeking their destruction. We should fight to educate both sides and bring them together in harmony. We should educate each side to no longer regard the other as the enemy.
(104:33, March 25, 1979)

To bring about a united, peaceful world we must overcome the many challenges arising from differences in region, race, religion, culture, custom, language and nationality. If we view the world from the perspective of the Creator—through God’s eyes of true love—we see that despite all these differences, the world is one.

When young people inspired by God’s true love dedicate themselves to sacrifice and service, they can begin to solve poverty and hunger throughout the world.

They can begin to heal the wounds caused by differences between rich and poor. They can help people overcome the animosities and hatreds arising from different historical experiences. True love means to love that which cannot be loved.

From this definition we can acquire a clear sense of direction for overcoming relationships of enmity and conflict.
(288:201-02, November 28, 1997)

I have the mission to prevent racial conflict and make peace between the races, especially between blacks and whites. The best way to accomplish this is to inspire white people to humble themselves voluntarily and serve black people.
(124:275, February 27, 1983)

Black people in America walked the path of slavery, taking the role of Abel as their part in the restoration of the heavenly side. It was black people who established America, not white people. Black people were sacrificed to build this nation; also the Indians were sacrificed. You should know that if there were ever a racial war, black people would want revenge, and neither would the other colored races leave the white race alone. Why do you think I, Reverend Moon, came to America? Indians are like my cousins. We are brothers. They are all perishing, and I have to prevent it. I didn’t come here for revenge, but to save. I am here to help the races reconcile with each other.
Who can reconcile whites and blacks? Can a white person or a black person do it? No, it won’t work. Blacks won’t listen to a white person, and whites won’t follow a black person. But black people can listen to someone of the yellow race. Yellow people were also the victims of the white establishment. If yellow people take the lead in forgiving their enemies—white Americans—and tell blacks to do the same, they will listen. A yellow man can teach black people to forgive, because their enemy, and the Indians’ enemy, is also my enemy. Representing all minorities, I will take the lead in forgiving. I explain to them that they are Abel, and this is Abel’s historical path.
(106:241, December 30, 1979)

Responsible Christian leaders could not resolve the problems in the Persian Gulf, so as a safeguard [against a full-scale religious war] I am convening a dialogue between prominent Christian and Muslim leaders. Most Koreans would say, “What has it got to do with me if Iraqis die or a nuclear bomb falls there?” But I know humanity’s dismal path, and I want to steer the world to avoid its hidden reefs. Hence, even though I am insulted and ridiculed, I am striving to save humanity through diplomatic efforts, even spending my own money. I am trying to get America and the Soviet Union aligned for this purpose. I have also worked for reconciliation between China and Taiwan, and recently I began efforts to reconcile Israel and the Arab world.
(211:13, December 30, 1990)

I have reached the advanced age of eighty-five, by the Korean way of counting. But I will continue to work harder than anyone else until the day the Earth overflows with God’s true families, guns in the Middle East fall silent and give way to fireworks of peace and joy, and shouts of “Mansei” celebrating the unification of my homeland Korea echo across the Pacific and are heard in America.
(March 23, 2004)