by Gilles Bourdeau

Gilles Bourdeau, ofm, is Director of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism.

Short of refusing to see the reality around us, it is impossible not to be aware of how widespread violence has become. It constantly takes new and disturbing forms. From another perspective, it expresses an almost congenital breakdown of humanity as if, impelled by life forces, people go about destroying everything around them and even themselves in a bewildering process of carnage and murderous intent. It seems impossible to do anything without the use of force, with little concern for the relation between the means and the end.

Civilizations, flooded with images and models of hatred and violence, are no longer able to define or develop themselves with reference to an Image and Source of Peace that would inspire projects of the society as much as personal growth. Though violence is a matter of history and of social and cultural conditioning, it challenges the soul and the vision of individuals and civilizations. Systems and lifestyles are, in the final analysis, the fruit of morality seen as viable or unacceptable.

"At the heart of evil," the Christian tradition remains a way of seeing and acting rooted in a Word and an experience which proclaim and effectively demonstrate a new, or at least different, reality: peace. The universe and the society which Christ and his disciples present are both memory and prophecy, a reminder of what was in the beginning and a proclamation of what will be at the end. They encompass the grace and the challenge of the Gospel now.

Every dimension of the Golden Rule, including love of neighbour, still reverberates. Cultures and societies should be built upon this simple wisdom and discipline: You shall love your neighbour as yourself! Every action and emotion that is not shaped by this rule or is actively opposed to it bears the seeds of violence, and we all know where that leads ... to nothingness.

The current issue of Ecumenism is essentially an echo of the commitment chosen by the Eighth Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in December 1998. The Editorial Committee of the periodical chose to present a few experiences and reflections that demonstrate our willingness to enter into this "dance" of consciousness-raising and action-taking that began on February 4, 2001.

The contributions to this issue are arranged in three sections. Beginning with an article by Marion Best, we relate this whole issue to the WCC's deliberations and decisions concerning this decade to overcome violence. Then we present four articles dealing with situations and experiences that are essentially screams heard over recent decades. The point of these articles is not to raise issues, but to linger on people and faces. The last section focuses on pathways to reconciliation, reviewing and reflecting on continuing or one-time expressions of the art of peace and justice.

Let us hope that such a journey will lead to dialogue about a challenge that is so urgent. Let us hope that these contributions are steps along the long road to peace.