A popular Christmas carol has a repeating refrain of "peace on earth, goodwill to men." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem embodied in the Christmas carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" was written during the depths of the devastatingly destructive Civil War. And yet its lyrics inspire the desire for universal peace on earth and goodwill to men, where in this context the word men is gender-, race- and nationality-neutral and all-inclusive.
While many around the world have largely completed their Christmas celebrations, Christians as well as many non-Christians and non-believers participated in the last-minute shopping and final preparations for one of the biggest celebrations of the year.
In a world that at times seems to have more than its share of conflict, few celebrations invoke a greater desire for peace.
Some would define peace as the absence of open conflict. However this definition would include situations where people have an inclination to injure one another but are only kept from conflict by forces outside their control. It would also exclude the normal and natural conflict and struggle associated with building healthy human relationships in families, communities and nations. Somehow defining peace as the absence of conflict seems unsatisfying at best.
A better definition of peace may be embedded in the lyrics of this Christmas carol. That is, peace on earth is when there is goodwill to men.
When there is ill-will towards others, it is almost impossible to establish lasting peace. There may be an absence of bloodshed or armed conflict, but it would be more of an armistice than a true presence of peace. Of course, conflict often arises even when there is goodwill toward men. But confronting conflict in an environment of goodwill most often results in binding hearts and minds together. It involves putting oneself in someone else's shoes and working to understand and appreciate their concerns, challenges and aspirations.
Peace on earth emerges from individual hearts and minds and not from external coercion or constraints. The path to peace on earth requires sincere and heartfelt goodwill toward men. The aggression and open conflict that naturally accompanies feelings of ill-will can be suppressed by depriving individuals of the freedom to act on that ill-will. However, as has been seen in numerous examples around the world, as soon as liberties are increased among people of ill-will, the conflicts will re-emerge.
When there are genuine feelings of goodwill toward men there may be conflicts, but those conflicts often become the vehicle for increasing unity and peace. Increasing liberty in this circumstance will tend to amplify these good feelings.
Whether an increase of liberty is beneficial or detrimental to society depends largely on whether there is an underlying attitude of goodwill toward men. Increasing liberty among people who harbor ill-will toward others almost guarantees a decline in peace, while increasing liberty among people of goodwill almost guarantees an increase in peace.
In a world that all too often focuses on human conflicts and hostilities, the spirit of Christmas invites a renewed personal commitment for peace on earth, goodwill to men.