Home Columns Books Talks About me Contact me
Midland Daily
News, January 19, 2005
Peacemaking is a proactive, not passive, way
of life. If individuals put as much effort into making peace as they did in
making war, our international policies would be very different. What if we
spent as much money on making peace in the world as we did on our military?
Where does peacemaking begin?
The prayer of St. Francis says, "Let
there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."
Very clearly peace making begins with each
and every one of us, right here in our local family, neighborhood, town,
school, work place, and even in our churches. My and your efforts at
peacemaking will spiral out in an ever-widening sphere of influence. With
peacemaking at the center of our lives, it will influence all of our actions.
For Christians, it is right out of the Gospel: be a good neighbor and love your
enemies. I suspect most religions have similar mandates.
A modern example of peacemakers is Martin
Luther King, Jr. whose life we celebrate this month on January 17.
Actions at the heart of peace making include
reconciliation, examining and getting rid of our prejudices, acting in a spirit
of cooperation rather than competition, performing acts of kindness, and
exercising forgiveness.
Reconciliation
There are probably few people who don't know
someone from whom they are estranged in some way. It could be family disputes
that have lingered on for years or friends misunderstanding each other or
coworkers competing for promotion. Reconciliation begins when one person
reaches a hand out to the other in the dispute. It is completed when the other
person accepts that hand. There is a peace between them.
Prejudice
We all hold prejudices for and against
various people and ideas, but we weren't born with them. As the song in South
Pacific says, "you've got to be carefully
taught" prejudices. If we were taught them, then we can unlearn them. But
we must be willing to examine them very carefully. That is challenging and
sometimes frightening.
I have a saying posted in my office that
says, "To find the truth, you must have an unrelenting readiness to admit
you may be wrong." It hits at the heart of prejudice. I try to live by
that.
Cooperation
Have you ever belonged to an organization or
been on a committee where one person bosses everyone else around? It's
frustrating being part of that group. Resentments build up.
On the other hand, being part of a group that
recognizes everyone's talents and the group works
together to accomplish tasks results in friendliness and camaraderie.
Cooperation naturally occurs after a
disaster, like the tsunami tragedy that the world is still dealing with.
Everyone reached out to neighbors and strangers after the attack on our country
on 9-11.
When we cooperate with others, everyone is a
winner. There are no losers. Peace settles in each of us and we act
differently.
Performing
acts of kindness
Being empathic to the checkout
person at a grocery store who has been on her feet for hours handling products
and numbers. Being patient with the person at
a fast food place who may be getting minimum wage and barely living from
paycheck to paycheck. These actions go a long way in promoting peace among our
fellow human beings.
Forgiveness
Forgiving others who make mistakes and asking
for forgiveness allows us to let go of anger and resentment. It helps us heal
the hurt inside.
The world
scene
How can this peacemaking by individuals play
out on the world scene? Reconciliation is at the heart of diplomacy.
Recognizing our national prejudices would have allowed our country to take a
different stance towards
So peacemaking is an individual way of life
that has worldwide ramifications. Will you be a peacemaker? If you want help in
being a peacemaker, check out Midland
Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice or Midland Citizens for Peace
or a religious community that strongly supports peacemaking.