So I was listening to some ridiculously bad Christmas song while I was buying gifts last night, and the song mentioned something about wishing for (yes, here it is) peace on earth and goodwill toward men. I'm sure most people have thought about what a world like that might look like, but I had not thought about it before in quite this way:
If we perceive good and wonderful things because of their contrast with tragedy and misfortune, then how would we perceive "peace on earth," if there were nothing to remind us of the bad things we were missing? In other words, if Good is good because Evil exists, how can Good exist if there is no Evil in the world? If were actually to achieve peace on earth, would we be able to full appreciate it?
I'm not sure it's possible. . . at least not on earth.
That's an interesting thought. And the truth is, I agree with you. Peace on earth, I don't think, is really possible. That is, a True Lasting Peace. I really think that Good can only be defined when one has experienced Bad, and that Peace can only be truly understood in light of unrest or whatever else it is caused there to be "no peace." Call me a cynic or pessimistic or something. :) But I guess its always best to define the best of things over and against the worst of things. It makes a person appreciate the good side more.
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