The Readers Blog is a group blog, a collection of provocative, passionate people who represent a broad geographical, professional, personal and vocational range. New bloggers from other places and other points of view will join the conversation from time to time. Here, we invite them all to share their perspectives and opinions on the issues that matter to them most. And we invite you to respond. Let the dialogue begin!
Peace awaits
Writing in Science of Mind, April 2008, Rev. Jane Beach, minister of the Conscious Living Center in Mt. View, California, says, “The presence of peace is in all things, awaiting our attention.”
Rev. Beach’s words made me think about how I make the choices in my own life. I determined many years ago that Peace was my number one value. The thing, idea, energy that is the most important to me. Other people use other values: love, joy, wisdom. Always intangibles.
The thing is: if Peace is the most important thing to me in the world, then I am honor-bound to make my every decision count for peace. I ask: Does this (whatever this is) contribute to Peace? Mine? That of others? The world? For every single thing I do.
That’s why I liked what Rev. Beach wrote. Peace is in all things. I flashed on Michelangelo’s famous idea about marble and statue-making. He said (I paraphrase) that all he did was take away what wasn’t the statue.
Is that all I have to/get to do? Take away anything that isn’t the peace at the core of all things? Is Peace just awaiting my attention?
A Dick Cheney quote in a recent Newsweek baffled me. When asked to respond to the notion that seventy percent of the American people think we should get out of Iraq, he said, (this I quote directly), “So?”
So? So peace is awaiting our attention. In the morning. In Iraq. In our children, our pets. In our schools. In our government. Peace, patient peace. What if all it needs is some attention?
So, Mr. Cheney? So start already!
Dear Susan,
Does waiting for Mr. Cheney to to pay attention—or begging him to—bring about the peace that we say we want? It's rather like asking a leopard to change its spots. It's not going to happen just because we say so.
Peace is awaiting my attention - I love that. When I want the powers that be to be different, I've shifted my attention away from peace.
Peaceful activism is possible, and it begins as an inside job. "Be the peace," said Gandhi. That's what I aspire to. A peaceful outlook is so attractive in others because it's who we are at heart. I don't expect Dick Cheney or anyone else to resonate with this if I'm not peaceful myself.
Thank you for the reminder to pay attention!
Love, Carol
posted by clearlife on 4/17/2008 2:45 pm