敵人 Enemy

在戰區的朋友今天傳來消息，她家裡一位行動不便的人來不及逃亡，被炸死了。

九二一地震時，也有許多人自己逃得了，但眼睜睜看著慢一步的親人罹難。這種痛，除了失去親人外，還加上倖存者的罪惡感。

而戰爭帶來的苦難，又比天災更進一步：天地不仁，帶來災難，人類也只能面對；但戰爭卻是人為的，是某些人覺得自己某些利益比他人的生命更寶貴，而覺得可以犧牲他人生命。這種痛，又更上一層。

很多人生日許願時常說要祈求世界和平，好像真的有一位專管生日許願的神，來應允每個人的三個願望。我沒聽過有這樣的神。

生日許願，不應像求阿拉丁神燈，求完了就沒自己事了；而應像新年立願一樣，當做是自己努力的目標。

真想要世界和平，至少先把自己與他人的關係弄好，想辦法減少自己外在的敵人與內在的敵意。

朋友痛失家人生命的離去，我立願以減少自己暴戾之氣作為新生命的開始。

A friend lost one of her family members to the recent war bombing. Others had to leave that disabled member behind.

Taiwan experienced a devastating earthquake in 1999, during which a lot of people also had to leave their loved ones behind in their narrow escape. On top of the loss, they also have to carry the survivor guilt.

Facing natural disasters is part of life and we do not have other choices but to face them, but wars happen because somebody prioritizes their interest over other people's lives. The pain brought by the war is therefore on another level.

Many people's birthday wishes include world peace. Who are we hoping to grant these wishes? I am unaware of any deity who specializes in granting birthday wishes.

Perhaps birthday wishes should not be wishes asked of a genie, but rather, resolutions, like the New Year ones, which are more like goals that we work hard to achieve.

In hoping for the world peace, perhaps we should start from improving our own personal relationships, by at least reducing our hostility toward others, and ourselves.

Today I make a wish to honor that lost life by starting a new journey to reduce my negativity.