Peace vs. Unending War

Which would you choose?

The choice seems obvious, but it's not quite that easy. Does peace mean weakness or strength? Should threats to national security be solved through war or negotiation? If we don't negotiate with terrorists, does that limit our choices?

Peace sounds wonderful. But how many of us are willing to do the work? How many will compromise for the sake of harmony? How many will choose education and welfare over defense?

The United States has been primarily a nation at war. Conceived in violent rebellion, this country has had few peaceful years. The period leading up to the Civil War was marred by lesser skirmishes and revolts. The years after World War II were a time of anxiety while the population waited for the seemingly inevitable nuclear war. The five years since 9/11 have been marked by armed conflict overseas and a decrease in civil rights here at home.

Can we do it? Are we able to work for peace?

Peace doesn't just happen. We must prefer it.

___

Tune in on Monday when I begin a new discussion.

Inner Peace

From Buddha to Emerson, the message is the same. True peace comes from within.

Have you ever tried to tell someone to "settle down"? Has it worked? In my experience, you can't make someone be calm. In fact, the efforts usually have the opposite effect.

Have you ever tried to impose peace? Can it be done? A temporary calm may be achieved, but not peace.

Daily life is full of distractions. Entertainment, obligations, noise--they all demand our attention and move us away from peace.

So how can we achieve inner peace? Don't buy. Don't watch. Don't compete.

Just submit. Just be.

The Gift of Peace

When I was 13, I was confirmed into the Lutheran church. My classmates and I thoroughly studied the Lutheran catechism, memorizing parts of it--especially the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed, along with Martin Luther's commentary on these documents.

Before Confirmation Day, each member of the class met privately with the pastor. I don't remember my conversation with him, though it was relaxed. (The year was 1970 and the pastor was fired soon after for giving sermons opposing the Vietnam War.)

During the Confirmation Service, the pastor gave each of us a Bible verse. A few of my classmates received "For God so loved the world. . .," the best known verse in the New Testament. The verse assigned to me was one I had never heard:

"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27

I wondered why the pastor gave me a fairly obscure verse I didn't really understand. In the following years, I often thought of that verse. Gradually I reached a level of comprehension.

Peace I leave with you. What a fantastic gift.

Peace Be Upon You

I'm back. It's been a productive month. Our new home is settled and I'm ready to carry on.

I plan to try something new. Each week I will choose a theme, and discuss this theme from different perspectives. You're very welcome to join in.

The first theme is, of course, peace.

--------------------------------------------------

"Assalaamu alaikum." This is the greeting among Muslims. No matter what the native language, every Muslim understands this phrase.

We hope for peace. Inner peace, more than anything. We try to control our tempers and be peaceful in difficult times. We look forward to and hope for an afterlife of peace. Everything we do--praying, fasting, generosity--is meant to develop a sense of peace in the individual. When one person is peaceful, this can spread to the family, the community, and so on.

Peace is a belittled word sometimes. Nearly everyone wants it, but most say it's impossible.
Is it?

What I'll Do During My Summer Vacation

This is my last post for a while. Next week we're moving. For the first week or so after our move we won't have an internet connection. I plan to spend the time writing. When I'm not unpacking, of course.

I'll also read. While packing, I found several books I forgot I had. I'm looking forward to digging into them.

And I'll spend much of my time outside. I love the sunshine and the warmth. I intend to soak up as much as I can before heading into another (shorter because we're moving south) winter.

I'll see you again in early July. Enjoy.

Peace Out!

Yearning for a Peaceful Society

Last Saturday, a young woman disappeared after a shopping trip. Today her body was found and identified.

This particular story hits home to me more than most of the others because I used to shop at that Target. I know the area where they found the body. We recently sold a home a few miles away.

I haven't talked with my friends yet, but I can imagine their reactions. Will they let their daughters go shopping alone? I doubt it. Not for a while.

We expect to be safe when we shop and go about our daily lives. We don't expect kidnapping and murder. Familiar places become haunted with the ghosts of deadly possibilities.

A few weeks ago, there was a shooting in Kansas City at a mall where I used to shop. Oddly, another Target store was involved. The perpetrator was a security guard who killed two at the mall, after killing an older woman and stealing her car.

We moved away from Kansas City three years ago, and in some ways I'm glad that I don't have to face these events on a personal level. But if not Kansas City, where? Crime rates are rising drastically in all major U.S. cities. My son's teacher has a nephew who was killed in St. Louis last week.

Read the papers. Check the websites. Some cities report shootings every day. There are also home break-ins, rapes, and robberies. I was a burglary victim last fall. Someone walked away with my laptop, my cell phone, and over $200 from my purse--money I had just made from selling some of my books. Two suspects were caught and there hasn't been any more trouble, but I never feel safe in this house. That's one reason I'll be very happy to move next week.

War overseas. Mayhem at home. Isn't it time we demanded an end to all the killing?

Isn't it time we demanded peace?

Lazy Days of Summer

As of noon today, all of my kids are out of school for the summer. Now what?

This year won't be too much of a challenge for us, actually, in terms of keeping the kids busy. We're moving next week. Tomorrow, I've announced, we will all concentrate on finishing the packing. The biggest job is the room my two youngest share. They're old enough to manage. I have my own to-do list.

After we settle into our new home, though, I'll face some of the same challenges. How much computer time do I allow, and how do I make sure each of my three youngest gets his own fair share? How often will I tell them to go play outside? How many fights will I witness? (I don't get involved unless it's absolutely necessary. They usually work things out without me.)

Summer vacation is a great opportunity. Some parents send their kids to camp. Some line up lessons in music, language, or rocketry. There are so many opportunities to fill up those empty hours with constructive activities.

I treat my kids to the way I remember summers. Endless days for daydreaming, reading, and just hanging out. Time to explore, without an organized agenda. Opportunities to be with brothers and friends or just be alone. For the most part, my kids define their summers. My job is simply to guide them. And feed them, of course. Our grocery bill skyrockets during the summer.

I want my children to be peaceful. One way to do that, I think, is not to push them but to give them the room to live their lives. Summer is a great time to do just that.