One hundred years ago peace was actually declared, but not until 16 million lives had been sacrificed, including 61,000 of the 332,000 Australians who enlisted in this arena.

While we stand in reverence before the courage, self sacrifice and dedication of our brave soldiers, and the heartache of their wives and families, widows and orphans, the question that refuses to be properly answered is: why?

Can anyone adequately explain why violence is seen as a suitable way of resolving anything?

With 100 years gone down in history, there is no one still living who can describe what it was really like on and off the fields of battle between 1914 and 1918.

Just a few veterans and some older citizens have personal memories of World War II, but instead of learning from the earlier horrors we embarked on another global-scale war that extended to seven years.

Violence begets violence, and can never be seen as a sensible way to resolve any differences.

Hardly a day goes by without our news media showing us yet another horror story of murder and mayhem, both in Australia and overseas. 

The Biblical text that spoke about an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was not recommending retaliation, but trying to put boundaries on retaliation and curtailing excessive behaviour.

Peaceful negotiations, respectful exchange of facts and figures, and getting the priorities in right order would seem to be essential basic principles needing to be exercised in discussions of all descriptions. 

The harder the problem, the more they are needed.

While Armistice Day sets our sights on the big picture, the same precepts need to be applied at all levels.

Whether it be domestic violence, paedophilia, disputes of all sizes and set-ups, nothing is achieved through retaliation.               

That’s where forgiveness comes in, and is an often overlooked virtue. We have to forgive both ourselves and others in multiple situations in this life.

If we harbour bitterness, resentment, anger and fear within us we are building an arsenal that could readily explode if unduly pressurised. 

None of us is an island. We take our place on this planet, in a state, or territory, in a city or a town or a village and in a house or a home we have ongoing contact with people whether we like it or not.

Far better to look on the good side rather than on the dismal, to accept what we cannot change, have the courage to change what we can, and to recognise that we are all brothers and sisters on this one planet.

If we try a hand at this, we will find our temptation to be critical diminishes. We will start looking at the refugees and asylum seekers with more compassionate eyes.

We will support government action to make decisions that improve our country rather than destroy it, and we will live in a better world.

As Sy Miller and Jill Jackson’s song says “let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. The peace that was meant to be”.

Lest we forget.