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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
Women writers on peace and war
Martha Shepard Lippincott: Nations now for mammon fight
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Martha Shepard Lippincott
Peace on Earth
Peace be on earth, good will to men.
Oh! let us now Christ’s lesson teach,
Love, charity and kindly deeds
Is what dear Christ would ever preach.
War, wealth and strife he loveth not,
And they can never be his cause;
But peace, forbearance, charity
Have ever been our Saviour’s laws.
To shed the blood of others’ lives
Will never help to make wrong right;
It but increases earthly woes,
Puts Christians in a wicked light.
War is the fruit of hate, revenge,
Or else the greed for others’ wealth,
In private life we e’er would call
It murder, robbery and stealth.
Then why should it at wholesale rate
E’er be considered to be right,
When in an individual case
‘Twould drag a soul to darkest night?
To kill men in revenge is wrong,
So killing nations is a sin,
‘Tis wholesale murder in God’s sight,
His favor war can never win.
‘Tis horrible and worldly strife ,
A nation slaughtered for a gain,
That while the winning side rejoice,
How many hearts are filled with pain?
While purses of some ’twill enrich,
It is degrading to the soul,
And many mothers’ sons are lost,
Far worse than when sad death bells toll.
‘Tis not Christ’s way to right a wrong,
Nor man’s way either should it be,
Far better love and kindness rule
Than bitter animosity.
War stirs up in the human heart
But hatred, jealousy and greed,
For spiritual and better life
It does not sow a single seed.
Peace be on earth and live for love,
That will develop the lost soul;
In God’s great army let us now
For love and mercy all enroll;
Live as he bids and raise the world
Above a realm of care and strife,
And teach mankind the better part,
Preparing for eternal life.
