THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE PRINCE OF PEACE
By Rudy M. Viernes
The United Nations is a world organization of independent countries. It celebrates its 66th founding anniversary October this year. It is the precursor of the League of Nations formed in 1920 and formally dissolved in 1946.
The UN was founded in 1945 in San Francisco with the adaptation and signing of its charter by 51 founding members among whom was the Philippines” Gen. Carlos P. Romulo. Romulo was the diminutive figure in that icon photo of Gen. Douglas MacArhur and Pres. Sergio Osmena at the Leyte landing during the liberation of the Philippines in 1945.
Romulo was a David in stature but a Goliath in savvy and intellect, a towering figure among the world’s giants that earned him the admiration of his peers and the presidency of the General Assembly during its 4th session in 1949. He was the first Asian to serve as president of the UN body. During his presidency he had demonstrated the greatness of the Filipino race.
Briefly stated he UN’s primary objective is to promote peace and international security and cooperation and to develop friendly relations among nations. Its headquarters is the famed 35-storey building in Manhattan, New York City.
But it seems the UN is nowhere able to maintain fraternity between nations when there are so many areas of the world with so much rage, rancor and discord, and thousands dying and suffering in turmoil, famine and social disorders. That it is unable to enforce its resolutions because there are member-nations whose ornery leaders seem to defy or undermine the primacy of the world body they have joined.
Currently only resolutions of the 15-member Security Council and not those of the 192-member Assembly, are legally binding. We accompany this article with an incredible painting of Jesus Christ titled “Prince of Peace” done by famous painter Harry Anderson. Christ seems to stand as tall as the UN building itself in the painting and appears as if to seek entrance into the 500 feet tall edifice.
“This is clearly God’s way of telling us to let Christ into world affairs,” says the Rev. Mark Chanley, an Australian author and recognized authority on the Holy Spirit.
Jesus does not like to force his way into people’s lives, and he won’t force his way into government either. He wants to be invited in.
We are reminded of a picture of Christ knocking at a door without a knob outside. But there is one inside and it is only the home owner who can open it at this end to welcome his guest.
That’s what the painting means for certain. It is a definite evidence that Christ is very concerned about current world discords and conflicts that he wants to mediate.
From its original members of 51 countries in 1945 the UN is now composed of 192 big and small soveriegn states with equal representation — one vote one voice. That is the only parity in the disparity, and the disparity is mind-boogling!
Mammoth China has 1.3 billion population spread over a land mass of 6.59 million sq. miles. The US has 3.7 million miles and 300 million population. The two smallest member-states are the tiny principality of Monaco at the French Riviera (pop. 32400) a one-square mile that conjures images of royalty and glamor, of Prince Rainer and Princess Grace. The other is the Vatican City covering about 108.7 acres (.017 sq miles) of Rome, a state of pious grandeur with 921 permanent residents including the Pope who has full legal, executive and judicial powers.
The current president of the General Assembly is Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser from Qatar. The inaugural president was Paul-Henri Spaak from Belgium The presidency rotates annually among five geographic groups: African, Asian, Eastern European, Latin American, Carribean and Western European. Because of their global stature some of the largest most powerful nations, like the US, China, Russia, France, the UK and Japan have never held the presidency.
If the countries of the world will only join together in prayer and ask the Prince of Peace to govern relationship among men and between nations, God’s Kingdom on earth will come and His will prevails as it does in heaven just like it says in Matthew 6:10.
Will President Al-Nasser invite or allow the Prince of Peace to mediate in the world’s conflicts and be a unifying presence in the world body?