by Ron Holland
We hear of all the chaos in the world and believe things are getting worse. It isn’t getting worse, it has always been this way. The only difference between today and the times of old is television, our advanced weapons and the internet. Killing with swords, hatchets, muskets and tanks is simply killing. And today, the news of conflict travels at phenomenal speed. But chaos in the world is and has always been integral part of human existence. There’s not a time in human history where chaos, confusion, war; turmoil, slavery, oppression; genocide, whole ranges of violence and Man’s inhumanity to Man didn’t exist. And the most disheartening reality is that at the heart of almost every human conflict is religious fervor and fundamentalism; greed and an sinister obsession for power.
Think about it, the “god” of scripture orders the wholesale slaughter of innocent women, children and babies. Heck, even animals were murdered. From Ancient Rome’s dominance and fall to Egypt’s dominance and fall; from Greece to ancient Babylon to kingdoms in Africa engaging in violent battles in an effort to control lands, our world is a place of chaos and conflict. When Jesus walked this Earth, he lived under Roman oppression. From the time of the biblical characters Abraham to Moses, to Joshua, Hezekiah; Amos, Obadiah, Daniel; Jesus, Paul to St. John’s fantastic visions on the island of Patmos, there existed war, violence, conflict; oppression, famine disease; greed, lust for power and Man’s inhumanity to Man. There has never been peace in this world. Humanity didn’t get it right pre-Antiquity, during biblical times and we’re blowing it today.
From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War; Hitler’s rampage, World Wars I & II; Japan’s oppression of the Chinese; European enslavement of my African Ancestors; the genocide of Native Americans and the stealing of their land. Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians. The pillage of the African Continent by the Arabs under the banner of Islam. The Crusade wars. British colonialism of Africa and Australia. The genocides in Rwanda and the Congo. North Korea’s flirtatious nuclear weapons bluster and that country’s brutal oppression of its people. From global terrorist networks bent on destruction to kidnapped girls by brutes in Liberia to ISIS’ blood thirsty rampage in Iraq to Russia’s attempts to violently snatch Ukraine and rebuild the Soviet Union. On and on and on and on – CONFLICT!
How do we resolve these conflicts? I simply don’t know. The unfortunate reality is human existence is fraught with difficult challenges. And as long as religious fundamentalism, greed, sex, money and lust for power is part of the human equation, conflict will always exist. If the very presence of Jesus couldn’t halt Rome’s oppression; If the rebellions of Spartacus, Nat Turner, Toussaint Louverture
Gasper Yanga and Joseph Cinque couldn’t dissuade nations from maintaining and instituting slavery; if Dr. King’s Dream couldn’t eradicate bigotry and prejudice; if American Democracy, which is undergirded by its own hypocrisy, can’t prevent the rise of brutes and dictators into power, CONFLICT AND CHAOS will remain.
And while I support the notion of prayer as an answer, I’m ever mindful that people have been praying for peace for thousands of years. From faithful Monks rotating in 24 hour cycles of prayer in monasteries atop huge mountain vistas to Catholic nuns fasting in convents and faithful members of churches, synagogues and mosques all over the world, people are and have been lifting their voices in prayer. Yet, the violence and chaos persists. Until the hearts of Mankind change, the predicament of war, conflict and violence will continue. Truly heartbreaking and sad.
Ron Holland is the host of the Public Affairs show, ‘COMMUNITY VOICES’ on WPZS -100.9 & 92.7 FM, Charlotte. He’s also a Producer and Board Operator for WOSF – Old School 105.3 FM. Ron is also a Production Assistant with all three stations. Any thoughts on this week’s commentary send Ron an email: ronholland@radio-one.com
