Ending Wars and Building Peace in Asia
Blood in Gaza and the Suffering of Asia
Today, we live in a time of such horrific violence that the word “peace” feels almost heavy to utter. The slaughter in the Gaza Strip leaves a deep scar on the conscience of humanity. Beyond the loss of innocent lives to bombings, the current situation in Gaza—where trucks carrying essential food and medicine are blocked, leaving people to starve and die without surgery—goes beyond “extinction” or “genocide” of the Palestinian people. It is an act that eradicates the last shred of “humanity” in the people of Gaza fought for them to preserve even in death, which is an unpardonable war crime. Despite the so-called ceasefire, the reality is a continuous tragedy where innocent lives are swept away daily under this systematic oppression.
This tragedy strikes directly at the lives of people in Asia. As tensions between Israel/USA and Iran escalate, the security crisis in the Middle East is shaking the global economy. Gasoline and commodity prices have skyrocketed, devastating the livelihoods of common people across Asia. In particular, as import/export routes for fertilizer and grain are cut off, poor Asian nations with low food self-sufficiency face the existential threat of famine. This structural vicious cycle, where the greed and hatred of one region snatch the food away from the poor worldwide, is ongoing at this very moment.
The Courage of Leaders and the Limits of Greed
Even in this pitch-black darkness, prophetic voices are sparking a flame of hope. First, in the religious sphere, Pope Leo XIV is strongly calling for peace over war. Particularly on March 15, 2026, the Pope stood in firm opposition to the logic of power advocated by President Donald Trump. The curses poured out by the Trump camp in response paradoxically demonstrate the immense power of the truth contained in the Pope’s message of peace.
This courageous and prophetic action is mirrored in the political arena. On April 10, 2026, President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea demonstrated the courage to explicitly point out Israel’s responsibility for the Gaza massacre and the Iran-related conflicts from the perspective of “universal human rights.” Despite fierce backlash from Israel, his firm counter-rebuttal—that universal human rights and the right to life are non-negotiable—has resonated deeply with the international community.
We believe that such prophetic actions by these leaders will serve as a model for others and act as a crucial lever in easing tensions and eventually ending the wars. Ultimately, we are witnessing how the greed of one individual can drive all of humanity into suffering. It is a painful lesson that human beings must struggle at every moment to strip away the greed within themselves and constantly seek strength through prayer and supplication.
Blood in Gaza and the Suffering of Asia
This year, we experienced a rare and symbolic intersection of religious practices: the Islamic month of Ramadan and the Christianseason of Lent began at the same time. The common thread between these two traditions is “fasting.” Fasting is not merely the act of abstaining from food. Anyone who has fasted for more than three days knows it is a struggle to thoroughly empty oneself beyond physical hunger.
This process of “self-emptying” is an act of pouring out the “false self” and “greed,” and a practical gesture of filling that empty space with the Merciful Allah and the God of Love. If we adopt the meaning of fasting as our identity and practice continuous self-emptying, the greed that fuels the fires of war will lose its place. When Asian Christians, especially the youth who carry the future, continue these small practices of emptying in their daily lives, peace will find its way to us in the near future. We are not mere spectators waiting for wars to stop. We must be “Peace-builders” who cultivate peace where we stand.
