Peace

Peace on earth. Goodwill toward all men. That’s the seasonal wish. We’ve been stating this forever. It is age old.

And yet peace eludes us.

The why this is so is not hard to understand. Billions of people, all yearning for something. Usually that is expressed in personal terms. I want, you want, they want. The requests, demands or dreams. All in competition with what others yearn for.

Yet peace still does not appear.

Peace between individuals is easier to gain. Peace between organizations is more difficult; it is because of more people involved. But leadership should be able to focus on the important points and make peace.

Yet peace does not happen.

Between nations peace is more elusive. Each wants something more than the other is willing to give. And both do not fully articulate what it is they truly want. Peace is not enough?

Peace should happen.

Why? Because it allows the quiet to embrace our thoughts. We feel secure in that moment. We are able to press our peace and hope forward. Without harm to others. Without sacrifice for others. Coexistence provides peace for each of us.

I wonder what goes on in the mind of Vladimir Putin. Does he want hegemony over all the world, like a despot? Or does he want space and calm in which to live happily with his people and nation to build a good life long into the future. Does he see America as the spoiler of his dream? Does he not know that we want the same calm and space in which to live our lives without threat of harm from others?

Imagine peace. Imagine the feeling. Imagine the lack of need for defenses. Imagine people getting along with one another. What you need does not threaten me. What I need does not diminish you. Together we swell the calm and space in which to live. True space. True peace.

Battles not necessary. Walls without purpose. Bombs, too, without need. Cheap is the price for all of that.

I do not want what Russia has. Or Putin has. I do not want what North Korea or Syria, or Iran has. I gladly leave them alone to live their lives. If they need help, I will gladly provide it. If we need help, I hope they would do the same.

No rifles or bullets are needed in this scenario. No machines of war are needed either. Only food, time, and shared experiences matter. To learn more of what makes them human. And us to be known by them as well.

Transactions of peace. Not war. Not demands. Acceptance.

Why is the opposite a long-standing truth in our lives?

December 27, 2018