What is more important: truth or peace? An uncomfortable question, especially for people who are convinced they possess the truth. For what happens when the truth prevents peace? And what value does a peace hold if one must betray one’s convictions to achieve it? Israel has been caught in precisely this dilemma for decades. On one side stands the biblical promise of the land, on the other the longing for peace with its neighbors. Both are noble values. But what if they contradict each other? The prophet Zechariah calls upon us to love truth and peace. Yet he does not reveal which of the two should take precedence in the event of conflict. The Bible itself surprises us with stories in which even God does not speak the whole truth for the sake of peace. Perhaps the decisive question is therefore not whether we fight for truth or for peace, but rather how much truth a peace can bear and how much peace we are willing to sacrifice for our truth.
“Love truth and peace.” What did...
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