Article April 14, 2003 Issue

Three questions—and a battle plan for peace

By Barbara Vining—Toledo, Ohio, USA

In my prayers concerning world conflict, I've been asking three fundamental questions from which helpful insights have been emerging.

What is the root cause of human conflict?

It's clear that without opposing elements, there could be no conflict. But the human mind seems to be made up of conflicting elements—patience and impatience, kindness and unkindness, appreciation and jealousy, love and hate, etc.—vying for control of our feelings, words, and actions. To the degree that you and I, as individuals, let negative, hurtful thoughts take possession of our minds, we find ourselves in conflict with our own best interests and the interests of others.

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