We are human beings on planet Earth; where can we escape? If we go to the End of the Earth or choose to Live on a desert island or even in a cave, we will still contemplate planet Earth and mingle with other human beings until we meet our maker.
In the Abrahamic Faiths, April 2024 holds a special significance. Christians are joyfully celebrating Easter season, commemorating the Resurrection of Christ. Muslims have just concluded the Holy month of Ramadan with the celebration of Eid Al Fitr. Jews are marking Passover, a time that signifies the end of slavery for the Jewish people. These observances co-occur amidst sadness and extreme suffering in the Holy Land, the cradle of our Common Faith in one God.
For many of us, these celebrations are a mere matter of religious traditions; we look forward to family gatherings and tasty meals. Although we are inclined to fight for our religion, antithetically, no genuine faith in God is involved. Faith implies the Love of God and a commitment to Live according to His commandments.
Unfortunately, most of the time, we fail to apply those to our daily realities. The love of God entails the love of our neighbor, a common theme in our religions, but we continuously harm our neighbor, consciously or unconsciously. We have a hard time ridding ourselves of all that is self-centered and have no reverence for one another.
One of the Ten Commandments revealed to Moses is: “You shall not kill.” but we witness an endless thirst to kill. An endless cycle of violence and revenge leads nowhere but jeopardizes the chance for new and future generations to live in peace.
The month of April 2024 events are not a simple coincidence; they are a wake-up call; more than ever, it’s time for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, “children of the Family of Abraham,” to turn together to the Almighty and pray in unison for peace in the Holy Land so dear to their hearts.
“A time to love, a time to hate, a time of war, and a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes-3,8.
How foolish are we to think that God loves us but does not have equal love for our neighbor? God is infinite: “He does not love with grudging heart but loves us all with arms spread wide.”
He is the only powerful.
We cannot escape Planet Earth; the place God gave to the human race; we have no choice but to devise a way to live our common humanity in peace and harmony.