Peace through War?
As America jets fly over Iraq,
it's a good time to consider what is authentic peace.
Peace
unfolds from loving and compassionate hearts. Peace comes when
all people to look within and find peace and compassion for all
people. This includes compassion for our political leaders and
compassion for people in other lands. All humanity is our family.
As a teenager I worked hard to stop wars through political protests.
I protested against President Reagan in much the same way people
have been protesting against President George W. Bush.
The cause of war is not weapons or a politician. The cause of
war is evil in the human heart. The cause of war is our collective
failure to recognize that humanity is one family.
My protests were an effort to blame
someone for the problems I saw. But why blame others? Blaming
others is an unhealthy practice that only increases resentment
and pain.
Ask
anyone
who
is married, whether blaming their spouse helps resolve conflicts.
It never works. The same is true for international issues.
Blaming and complaining offers no help. It is destructuve, not
constructive.
So what is constructive?
The key to peacemaking is to take responsibility
for problems when we see them.
When 9-11 happened, I remembered my friends in Pakistan and
other Muslim countries and thought,"What can I do to improve
the relationships between Muslims and other religions?"
When I read about the conflicts in Gujarat, India, I thought,
"What can I do to help?"
When I think about Iran I want to go there and serve the Iranian
people and show them that they are part of my family.
Global PeaceWorks is not about blaming America or anyone
else for problems in the world. Global PeaceWorks
supports
America's beneficent role in the world.
Likewise,
we support YOUR beneficent role in the world.
Go and make peace. Love others through
service.
Whether with Global PeaceWorks or any other organization.
-
Eric Wenzel
March 20, 2003
