Peace On Earth

What exactly does peace mean these days? Would we recognize it if we saw it? Are we prepared for it if it does happen? Would we openly welcome peace into our lives?

Most people would answer yes to those questions. But I have to wonder what definition of peace they would be answering yes to.

In a country where folks give more consideration to their gun rights than to the lives that have ended due to those guns, I have to wonder.

When you have a hate-filled tyrant spewing the most vile messages of ignorance, bigotry, misogyny, and pure nonsense, it’s impossible to recognize peace in any of that.

Night after night we see one horrible story after another on the news. Don’t even get me started on the mess that’s all over the internet. People are so touchy and tightly wound that the least little thing sets them off. It’s no wonder that the idea of peace is barely more than a pipe dream.

How then do we bring about peace into our lives? I’m not talking about solving all of the world’s problems or soldier’s putting down their guns and bombs for good (although, that would be nice). I’m just talking about bringing a little peace into our tiny corners of the world, into our own lives.

This is something we all have to put some thought into. The results can be as bland or grand as the changes you make in your life. Trust me, it can be done. Here’s my plan.

This holiday season and going forward I’m focusing on spending time with the people I care about. Surrounding yourself with people you love and who love you is a win-win.

I’m going to recognize how I’ve been blessed. But I won’t stop there. I will also be grateful for my health, the roof over my head, a warm bed, steady paycheck, my creative abilities, and food in my refrigerator.

I won’t allow someone else’s bad attitude, hatred, ignorance, or intolerance to make me feel less than who God created me to be.

I will take time to notice the sun streaming through my window or a brightly colored bird perched on a tree branch or even a fresh blanket of snow in my backyard. In other words, I’ll pay attention to and appreciate the beauty God has placed all around me.

Those are just a few things. I certainly don’t have the solutions to the world’s problems, but I do believe that peace begins within. If each one of us finds our inner peace, it just might spread out to the rest of the world.

There is no path to peace. Peace is the path. - Gandhi