A research fellow, of the Catholic Northeast Asia Peace Research Institute writes in the Reconciliation Column of the Catholic Weekly about 'The Peace SOP Attitude'.
Countries around the world are in a state of conflict. The war between Russia and Ukraine continues, we have the war between Israel and Palestine and tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to be intensifying again. In fact, there have been many conflicts around the world, but since they do not directly affect our lives, we have not felt their severity. However, with grain prices soaring due to the war between Russia and Ukraine and oil prices expected to increase due to the war between Israel and Palestine, war is finally being felt on the Korean Peninsula.
Preventing war from occurring may be the top priority, but if war breaks out, what attitude and response should we as believers show? Once a war breaks out, can the subsequent response be left to the independent free will and judgment of each believer? Even now, there are many believers who make judgments and live unrelated to the words of the Bible. Can we truly live according to the teachings of faith?
If we live without any reference point or direction, wouldn't we end up insisting, like 'Eichmann in Jerusalem' who massacred the Jews: "I only did what the state told me to do, so what's my crime?" After the war is over, what is the meaning of holding meetings to reflect and express sorrow that we did not live as believers during the war?
The columnist in his work has become familiar with the term SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). SOP usually refers to the process of creating response procedures in advance for situations that may occur in the government, administrative agencies, organizations, companies, military, etc., and responding appropriately when such situations occur.
Looking at the recent conflicts in various countries, a secular thought occurred to him that we, believers, should also create SOPs for peace. And within that, he thinks there should be a maximum and minimum behavioral standard, like the ‘golden rule of love’ in the Bible. He also thinks that if we do not prepare the SOP for peace in advance and practice what we believe, when war breaks out, our thinking and behavior will be no different from that of non-believers.
Shouldn’t the saying "that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16) also apply to wartime?
