Spring Flowers and War

The Catholic Peace Weekly Diagnosis of the Times column has an article by a priest member of the Reconciliation Committee of the diocese that compares war with the flowers of spring, their similarity, and differences.

It's spring. Flowers that make our hearts flutter are blooming everywhere. It's always amazing to see them every year. It's surprising how such beautiful colors can adorn the black and withered branches that seem dead. People can't resist pressing the shutter on their handphones in front of forsythias, azaleas, and cherry trees.

Spring flowers have the magic to make us want to send pictures to someone precious and walk along the flower paths together. But these spring flowers bloom in a certain order. They follow a sequence according to the temperature and the amount of sunlight. 

The flower that first signals the change of seasons is the plum blossom. Next in line is the cornelian cherry, followed by the magnolia, which tempts with its subtle fragrance. After the magnolia comes the forsythia, and then the azalea. Around this time, songs about cherry blossoms are heard on the radio, and then tulips take their place. People often confuse azaleas with rhododendrons, but if you remember that rhododendrons bloom last in May after the spring has passed, it's easy to distinguish them from azaleas that bloom in March. Thus, nature creates an order of spring flowers based on temperature and sunlight, allowing us to predict what will bloom next.

So, what do spring flowers have in common with war? It's the order and predictability. Looking at it this way, war is similar. In reality, we often think that wars suddenly erupt. The Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict both surprised everyone. While wars may seem shocking and sudden, it's not that there were no conflicts before. All wars, in fact, do not happen out of the blue. Conflicts arise and escalate until they reach a tipping point, and that's when war breaks out.

War may occur suddenly to those who haven't paid attention to the conflicts. However, if one closely observes the interactions of word against word, action against action, one can see the results in the making. In fact, wars that mobilize a nation's entire capacity and everyday conflicts go through a process. For example, if a dispute over parking arises on the street, it starts with harsh words, then threatening behavior, and eventually escalates to physical violence with punches thrown.

There can be decisive words and actions that intensify conflicts, and conversely, there are times when conflicts can be managed. Just as one can predict when buds will bloom by noticing the slight changes in temperature and sunlight, all human conflicts can be prevented if their progression is sensitively detected. 

Of course, spring flowers and wars lead to very different outcomes. One is the work of life, and the other is a path of destruction and death. Spring flowers remind us of loved ones and bring happiness we want to share, while war brings the anxiety and fear of losing loved ones. Therefore, conflicts should be given as much attention and management as spring flowers.

The conflict on the Korean Peninsula is also somewhere in this process. Exchanges have disappeared, communication lines have been cut, hostile language is exchanged, shows of force are frequent, negotiations have been broken, and hostility is growing. What will be the next step? Shouldn't we stop here, manage, and adjust? What should we do in this process? Many questions are now laid before us. However, one clear fact is that while spring flowers continue their process without pause, war can be stopped if we pay attention. In other words, war grows on our indifference.