PEACE AND HOW TO
ACHIEVE IT
At any
gathering where people pray together, the presider invariably asks “And for
your own intentions_____?” At that we
all take a deep breath and get ready for the onslaught of woeful requests for
health, for relatives in trouble, for the unemployed and always, always there
is the plaintive prayer for peace, in particular for peace in the Middle
East. You’ll notice that prayer has gone
unanswered for several thousand years. I
used to wonder about that until I realized that peace on earth does not rest
with God but with us. Peace is
impossible as long as we the people are stubborn, intransigent, and blind to
other’s viewpoints, angry, vengeful and sometimes just downright mean. We are the reason there is no peace. God will not intervene. Why would God create human beings, give them
intellect, talent, reason and the power of free will and then interfere?
God does
not look upon us and think, “Ok. If you won’t do it, I will”. No. Peace rests solely with us. We are the agents of peace. We have all the tools to create peace but
somewhere inside us all that nugget of ego thwarts our resolve. We carry
grudges and nurse them like newborn babies.
We hug them close and relive the cause.
We resolve to never forgive or forget.
Multiply that by the billions who make up this world and it’s a wonder
any peaceful settlements are ever achieved.
Don’t
despair. Along with all the other gifts
God has given us, is the power to think and to control our own actions. To work for peace in our own hearts requires
some resolve. Resolve not to jump to
conclusions, not to jump on bandwagons until we know all the facts, not to view
absolutely everything by how it affect us but take into consideration the needs
and feelings of others.
We’re not
going to solve the Mideast Crisis but we can work for peace in our little
corner of the world and when we pray say this:
“Almighty Father, thank you for
the gifts you have given me to solve the problems of my life. I pledge to you that I will use those gifts
to bring as much peace to others as I can.
I ask only that you guide me, nudge me even, to discern the right
actions which will achieve that peace.”
Amen
With love, Carol
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