War & Peace – a conversation with Rabab Khan

From Rabab:

Thanks Tom. Your email reminded me of this:

“Is it for faith to deliver peace, when on all sides inequity thrives for it shall indeed thrive, when the blessed walk past blissfully blind, content in their own moral purity, in the peace filling their souls? Oh, you might then reach out a hand to the wretched by the roadside, offering them your own footprints, and you may see the blessed burgeon in number, grow into a multitude, until you are as an army. But there will be, will ever be, those who turn away from your hand. The ones who quest because it is in their nature to quest, who fear the seduction of self-satisfaction, who mistrust easy answers. Are these ones then to be your enemy? Does the army grow angered now? Does it strike out at the unbelievers? Does it crush them underfoot?”

(Steven Erikson, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 8)

Regards

Rabab

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From Tom:

Rabab, I would love – love – to read a post from you that uses this text as a jumping-off point. Do you disagree with my point of view? Tell me why. Speak from your heart. I want to read it. This is an important issue.

Tom

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From Rabab:

I believe peace is completely dependent on completion – whether it is the completion of self, completion of needs or a completion of all that we deem important. However, such a Utopian world is perhaps impossible to achieve. Therefore, peace is not possible. We were not built for peace. Peace would mean the end of all endeavor, the end of all aspirations and this would lead to dissatisfaction thus, again, leading to war.

So in essence, I don’t disagree with you. And, yes, I can write about it, definitely.