I have previously written about celebrating from September 1st to the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4 as the time of creation. For the past 44 years, September 21st has been observed as the World Day of Peace under the inspiration of the United Nations. Therefore, the week starting from September 21 is observed as the Week for Peace by the World Council of Churches, various universities and organizations across the world.
'Noah's Ark' is a powerful peace-inspiring imagery in the Old Testament. Some might say that such an ark never existed. But wait. What if it were this very earth itself?! All living creatures and humans! The Ark of life called the earth, where care gathers the entire living world called forth to form a family, that floats on this abysmal flood of darkness!
It is from the very same Ark that he sends forth the dove. It is to the same Ark that it returns as a dove of peace, carrying an olive branch. Just as Richard Parker and Pi Patel in "Life of Pi" part ways after embarking on the land, so before Noah and the animals part ways, God enters into a covenant with the created world- a covenant of peace. He placed his rainbow in the heavens and signed the covenant of peace. Thus, the Ark, the olive branch, the dove of peace and the rainbow stand as symbols of peace.
Perhaps, in recent times, our Ark and the life in it are being broken. The very foundation of peace is being shattered. Rulers who do not even respect the accepted ethics of war (the ethics of war!) establishing themselves as war criminals!
Why is no one speaking up?
Only if there's the Spirit, there can be movement;
there can be a storm and sound!
The world remains in a guiltful silence.
The only consolation we have is that the Churches are ‘imploring, begging, and ordering’ the world in the name of God from Rome, Istanbul, Alexandria, and Jerusalem.
As our Malayalam poet Sachidanandan writes:
“When the armories are emptied
and the seven seas are filled with blood
you will come to me;
and we will build a new Jerusalem
one brick for each slain man
one brick for each butchered beast,
one brick for each felled tree;
We will build them with tears.
we will fly to other planets
on the wings of birds
with cornstalks and olive leaves.”
Why will you will come to me? Because,
“I love.
Therefore I exist.”
