Working to promote freedom of conscience for every person, no matter who they are or where they live.

March 2, 2011

What is Going On in Our World?

The headlines out of Libya are relentless. I read story after story of violence and death, and I wonder, “Why?” Why have so many thousands of people been killed? Why have families been torn apart, their hopes and dreams abruptly ended by the death of loved ones?

The answer is tragically simple: Because the people of Libya have dared to speak out for freedom.

Half a world away from the turmoil of Libya, in a place where freedom is respected and there is no need for people to demonstrate, the headlines tell of a different kind of tragedy. The people of New Zealand are mourning those whose lives were cut short by an earthquake that came without warning. 

Their freedom was protected, but were they protected from tragedy?

No! Nature decided otherwise. They have suffered not at the hands of a ruling power, but from forces that could be neither anticipated, nor prevented.

Each one of us is living in a time of earthquakes. The ground we stand on is no longer stable. It trembles. No one is safe. Peace, justice, and freedom don’t protect us from devastating storms, tornadoes, or acts of terrorism.

But at a time when everything around us feels uncertain, there is one thing we can do. We can make sure our life has meaning.

Some people find meaning in accumulating money—more money than they could spend in a 100 lifetimes. Others concentrate power—they hold so much power in their hands that they cannot imagine they may one day lose it. In these past few months, we have seen where money and power lead people.

But there is another way to give our life a meaning. We can build our life on a solid foundation of values—justice, integrity, and freedom. For believers, all these values are part of their faith in God.

In this tormented world, we are called to defend these values and place them firmly at the center of public life. We are called to uphold respect for human dignity, and let this be the ruling principle of our social priorities.

Building our life on these values will not protect us from cataclysms or bullets, but it will give us a sense of meaning and purpose. And for those who believe, it will open the gates of the Kingdom of God.

Dr. John Graz, Secretary-General of the International Religious Liberty Association