When John Lennon and Yoko Ono wrote the song Merry Christmas (War is Over) way back in 1971, the war in Vietnam was in full swing.
Each time Christmas is coming, this song is played over and over again on radio stations all over the world. It is a constant reminder that, unfortunately, 35 years down the line, war is far from being over. If anything, things are perhaps worse.
The world is not at peace with itself. News of countries in conflict against each other are predominant on television stations and newspapers every hour, every day. And the light at the end of the tunnel is nowhere to be seen.
The message in that 1971 song is for the world to live together in harmony, that it is possible for people of different races and creed to blend together in society. It is an idealistic thought, very hard to achieve, but instead of moving closer to each other, people are moving away.
It is a contradiction that we speak of a globalised world, that technology has brought people closer to each other, that we live in a global village, when there is so much difference, so much hatred, so many wars going on in different parts of the world.
But battles do not only exist between nations, between peoples, between groups. They exist even in workplaces, in families and among neighbours.
And the big question is – if families are divided because of politics, if brothers do not speak to each other because of a disagreement over inheritance, if a father and son are at loggerheads over a business concern, if a mother does not see eye to eye with her daughter because of the man she chose to marry and if two heads of department look away each time they meet because they cannot agree on anything, how can we expect nations to be at peace with themselves and with other countries?
Division exists in all forms and sizes, from the husband and wife who are continuously arguing to nations at war with each other. It exists in a school where bullies harass the quieter schoolmates. It exists on the road where two people argue over a parking space. It exists in Paceville where two come to blows over a woman. It exists in a factory where there is no communication between the management and the workers. It exists everywhere.
But there is always hope that things can change. There is always hope that tomorrow will be better than today, and that the day after will be better than tomorrow.
Yet, for this to come by, each and every one of us has to play his or her part. Two people who make up after an argument make the world a better place to live in. Those neighbours who avoid each other should shake hands the next time round and sort out their differences.
On a much larger scale, the world community and, most of all, the political leaders, should all work closely to find solutions to problems that are leading to so many innocent deaths. Rather than foment hatred and division, political leaders should work for cooperation and unity.
Maybe, one day, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s words will become a reality. But for that to happen, we must all contribute.
A thousand-mile walk starts with the first step.