The evidence shows that humans did not always view each other as enemies. So, the question we need to ask is "How did humans turn from brotherhood to animosity?" I found one ancient document that gives some insight into this issue. Unfortunately, it happens to be a source of irritation between humans. That source is the book of Genesis in the Hebrew and Christian Christians.
In Genesis 2 the Creator puts the first man, Adam, to sleep extracts a rib from his chest cavity and makes a woman out of the rib that He removed. When the woman is presented to Adam he declares (v. 23):
[quote]"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."[/quote]
That was a sign of identity, unity and brotherhood. But a few verses later, after "the Fall," Adam no longer thinks of her as being a part of him. Instead, when asked why he had eaten of the tree he had been told not to partake of he says, [quote]"The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."[/quote]
This was quite a change. In the next chapter the story is repeated with different circumstances. In chapter four Adam and Eve produce two sons. Cain grows up to be a farmer who works the soil, and Abel becomes a shepherd. By the time the story ends one brother is dead (8)[quote]Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." [d] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.[/quote]
Somewhere in those two stories we should be able to determine what it is that changed humans from brothers into enemies and indicate how we can get back to where we were.
A systems level discussion on Organizational Leadership and World Peace written by:
© Darius A. Lecointe, Ph.D., J.D., M.A. Join in the discussion here or through dalecointe@gmail.com
4 comments:
Mine is a rather simplistic statement of solution, but to acknowledge that we are cut from the same cloth, intrinsicly a part of each other, would be a first step.
That is the object lesson of the woman coming from the rib, IMO. Then, all subsequent life issued from the two of them.
Acts 17:26 reinforces this when it states "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth;"
Whether the Genesis story is fact or a parable, the lesson is the same.
The biggest mystery is the fact that those who should be advocating unity are among those who refuse to accept the oneness of the human race. How did we get to that point?
I was browsing a website for a Benedictine desert monastery earlier today; it looks like a lovely place. Home page cites the founding principle "Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ..." "...let all kindness be shown them."
I know Catholics don't do open communion, so that this group bars nonCatholic visitors from receiving communion wasn't surprising. What did floor me was the explanation for it: "It is a consequence of the sad divisions in Christianity that we cannot extend to you an invitation to receive Communion... Reception of Communion by Christians not fully united with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist, and for which we must all pray."
How will anything ever change if everything stays exactly the same? I struggle with the runner-up prize of prayer-in-word when what is really needed is prayer-in-deed.
Well said, KM. It is no wonder that we keep fighting wars to achieve peace. Somehow, we have a strong belief in magic.
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