Daddy, I had another bad dream: a long way from peace on earth

This Christmas Eve, even as we think of peace on earth, we are getting a view on a small scale of the way fear and hate are perpetuated between peoples. Luke woke up in the early morning hours and called me to come. When I sat down on his bed and asked what the problem was, he said he'd had another bad dream. "What was it this time?" I asked. "Remember how M. was talking yesterday about the Muslims going into Christian's houses and killing them? I dreamed that a bunch of people came at me and killed me with rocks." I didn't have a bad dream myself, but I, too, slept fitfully, disturbed by the sound of many sirens and wondering what was going on. Violence breeds fear and distrust, and even though the children don't march in the streets shouting slogans and brandishing pretend guns, they catch the fear, and the distrust of the Other gradually becomes a part of their identity. Luke went shopping with Barb today, too, since school is out. He wanted to go and meet all his "friends," the shopkeepers and merchants who know him and greet him. They were happy to see him, and one of the Hausa vegetable sellers even phoned another one, who had traveled to another city, so that Luke could greet him too. I didn't think of it until now, but we should take this opportunity to point out to Luke that those men are Muslims, but are kind and friendly to him. Maybe we can help in a small way to stop the deadly cycle.