The president and CEO of World Vision Canada urges us to make peace in a time of war
In recent days, as violence has escalated in Iran and across the region, the world has been pulled into yet another cycle of fear, retaliation and political calculation. The headlines are familiar. The human cost is not. Innocent people are caught between missile strikes. Families are fleeing destruction. Communities are bracing for waves of displacement.
A vision beyond violence
The prophets saw a day when nations would beat their swords into ploughs, turning weapons of destruction into tools that helped communities grow and flourish. This was not necessarily because threats evaporated, but because they imagined nations acknowledging God’s authority and God’s intention for peaceful living.
Jesus echoed that posture when He taught His followers to bless their enemies, welcome the outsider, and build a community where the most vulnerable sit closest to the centre.
That vision is not naive to the realities of the world. It is defiant in refusing to accept them as the only way, and it is deeply Christian.
War always produces a moral fog. It tempts us to justify the suffering of others so long as the "good" side wins. But the gospel pushes in the opposite direction. It collapses the distance between "us" and "them." It insists that every child and civilian caught in crossfire – every one – bears the image of God.
Christians do not need to agree on foreign policy to agree on this: the loss of innocent life is never collateral. It is always tragedy.
Active peacemaking in a fractured world
So, what do we do?
First, we remember that the Christian posture toward conflict can never be one of apathy. Peacemaking is active. It can include advocating for ceasefires, humanitarian access, and protection for the displaced. It can insist that political leaders prioritize diplomacy over escalation.
In a world quick to reach for the sword, Christians can help to imagine and demand another way.
Second, we refuse to let geopolitical narratives drown out the stories of the innocent, including children. In conflict zones, it’s often the youngest who lose the most: safety, schooling, stability and family. If Canadian Christians claim to follow the One who welcomed children when others pushed them aside, our public voice must reflect that. Our advocacy must follow that.
Finally, we keep defying the "reality" that says nothing can change. In every generation, Christians have been at their best when they refused to mirror the world’s logic. They showed that hope can be practised, not just preached.
This is not about perfect solutions. It is about faithful presence. It is about insisting that our moral anchor is that all humans are made in the image of God and loved by God.
Canadian Christians have an important role to play. We can pray. We can speak. We can welcome refugees. We can influence our leaders toward diplomacy and humanitarian action. We can give generously to those responding on the ground.
Peacemaking may not trend on social media. It will not satisfy ideological camps. But it is the path Christ gives us and the one our fractured world desperately needs His people to walk.
Allison Alley is president and CEO of World Vision Canada. She points church leaders looking to learn more about World Vision’s involvement in the Middle East to wvi.org/emergencies/middle-east-crisis-response.