PERSPECTIVE ON THE NEWS February 25, 1980 Issue

Breaking the cycles of war and peace

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven," observes the writer of Ecclesiastes; and he lists times of good and times of evil as cyclical phenomena in human history, including "a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."^{Eccl. 3:1, 8;}

The centuries do seem to turn in cycles, and the threat of war does seem to be a recurring event or menace, as in the escalation of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union over the latter's invasion of Afghanistan and the consequent threat to the Persian Gulf region. Even Christ Jesus prophesied the coming of "wars and rumours of wars"^{Matt. 24:6;} in the annals of time. But neither the Master nor the Preacher in Ecclesiastes was referring to the reality of life—to the pure, harmonious, unfolding panorama of Spirit, which has a practical present import for the world.

In the eternal now, in the teeming cycles of the ever-present Christ, only loveliness and holiness revolve into view. Spiritual sense accommodates only spiritual scenes wherein God's love is eternally evolving the energy of pure affection, intelligence, and joy. No cycles of conflict and crisis, no throbs of trouble, move in the harmony of the one infinite Mind. But the action of this Mind, as we submit to it, has a profoundly healing impact on the conflicts and disturbances of mortal thought.

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