In the Bible, the story of Abraham stands out.
Throughout history Abraham had been a man who pursued a peaceable policy of cooperative diplomacy.
He did not only encourage them, they began with him! Apart from entering into covenants with various Canaanite kings, negotiating mutually beneficial power-sharing arrangements for trade, security, mutual aid, and land use, Abraham steered clear of the battles for conquest between Canaanite kings, only entering the fray to rescue the household of his nephew Lot.
He also negotiated an amicable resolution to a dangerous conflict over ownership of wells, on the basis of a treaty he had made with King Abimelech of the Philistines.
Abraham was able to succeed where Israelite kings Saul and David would later fail - making peace with the Philistines and not resorting to war.
This was only one of several treaties Abraham made with different Canaanite kings.
However, he took responsibility for conflict, acknowledged mistakes, and asked for forgiveness - first to Pharaoh and later to Abimelech - when he admitted his deceptions about the status of his wife.
He promoted a proto-human rights/democratic/religious/ethnic liberty when he commanded all of his descendants to do what is just and right if they desire to live sustainably in the land with their {diverse) neighbours.
He fostered just and sustainable economic development via his willingness to share the land and water of Canaan (and even his own wealth) with both his kin and other ethnic groups he encountered, an act that is generously reciprocated by many of the local Canaanite leaders (such as Melchizedek and Abimelech and a Hittite who sold his only property to Abraham).
Although working with emerging global networks and strengthening the United Nations obviously would have been impossible for ancient Abraham, as a seemingly multilingual sojourner, this father of monotheistic faith possessed a remarkable ability to make trade, security, and resource-sharing treaties - with a diverse array of peoples.
He would be remembered for his devotion to increasing his herds and multi-ethnic children than his weapons! It still on record that Abraham did not simply encourage grass-roots peacemaking groups, he founded them through his families and followers, whom today we call Jews, Christians, and Muslims (within which, we know, there are many diverse sects and sometimes conflicting cousins, all in great need of the peacemaking lessons their father Abraham might teach them!) Tragically, the followers of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad have too often neglected, ignored, or transgressed these practices of hospitality and conflict resolution in seeking their own interests and security apart from trust in God's salvation.
Throughout history Abraham had been a man who pursued a peaceable policy of cooperative diplomacy.
He did not only encourage them, they began with him! Apart from entering into covenants with various Canaanite kings, negotiating mutually beneficial power-sharing arrangements for trade, security, mutual aid, and land use, Abraham steered clear of the battles for conquest between Canaanite kings, only entering the fray to rescue the household of his nephew Lot.
He also negotiated an amicable resolution to a dangerous conflict over ownership of wells, on the basis of a treaty he had made with King Abimelech of the Philistines.
Abraham was able to succeed where Israelite kings Saul and David would later fail - making peace with the Philistines and not resorting to war.
This was only one of several treaties Abraham made with different Canaanite kings.
However, he took responsibility for conflict, acknowledged mistakes, and asked for forgiveness - first to Pharaoh and later to Abimelech - when he admitted his deceptions about the status of his wife.
He promoted a proto-human rights/democratic/religious/ethnic liberty when he commanded all of his descendants to do what is just and right if they desire to live sustainably in the land with their {diverse) neighbours.
He fostered just and sustainable economic development via his willingness to share the land and water of Canaan (and even his own wealth) with both his kin and other ethnic groups he encountered, an act that is generously reciprocated by many of the local Canaanite leaders (such as Melchizedek and Abimelech and a Hittite who sold his only property to Abraham).
Although working with emerging global networks and strengthening the United Nations obviously would have been impossible for ancient Abraham, as a seemingly multilingual sojourner, this father of monotheistic faith possessed a remarkable ability to make trade, security, and resource-sharing treaties - with a diverse array of peoples.
He would be remembered for his devotion to increasing his herds and multi-ethnic children than his weapons! It still on record that Abraham did not simply encourage grass-roots peacemaking groups, he founded them through his families and followers, whom today we call Jews, Christians, and Muslims (within which, we know, there are many diverse sects and sometimes conflicting cousins, all in great need of the peacemaking lessons their father Abraham might teach them!) Tragically, the followers of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad have too often neglected, ignored, or transgressed these practices of hospitality and conflict resolution in seeking their own interests and security apart from trust in God's salvation.
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