A few years ago (“a few” meaning about 50!) there was a BBC TV series entitled The Ascent of Man, hosted by Jacob Bronowski, describing how, throughout history, science helped our species to achieve higher standards of living. One thought in particular struck me: that war is simply an organized and efficient means of theft. Joshua describes that theft as the Hebrew children enter the promised land: “I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.” While we can’t change history we can confront it. Accepting that the good and the ugly are part of our story makes moving forward possible.
