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This week: Blessed are the Peacemakers Edited by: Sophy  
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Hi, I'm Sophy ~ your editor for this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter. This week we'll talk about the spiritual practice of peacemaking, with some writing exercises at the end.
The Rev. Scotty McLennan, author of the book "Finding Your Religion," compares humanity's innate need for spiritual searching to climbing a mountain. In his view, we are all endeavoring to climb the same figurative mountain in our search for the divine, we just may take different ways to get there. In other words, there is one "God," but many paths. I honor whatever path or paths you have chosen to climb that mountain in your quest for the Sacred.  |
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P is for Peace
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
- Jesus of Nazareth
When you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
- Francis of Assisi
Be peace, don't just talk about it.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
Continuing our occasional series based on the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy by Frederick and Mary Ann Brussat, we move to the spiritual practice of the letter P for Peace, which is described on the Spirituality and Practice web site as follows:
Peace is built on the foundations of other spiritual practices: connections, compassion, justice, unity. It is a goal of all spiritual people. Peace is an inner state of well-being and calm. It is also an outer project of promoting nonviolence, conflict resolution, and cooperation in the world. The root of the Hebrew word for peace, "shalom," means "whole" and points to this twofold meaning: peace within oneself and peace between people. Practice peace by refusing to participate in violence either directly or indirectly. Try to stay composed no matter how agitated the people around you become. Meet conflict with equanimity. Disarm yourself - lower your guard - as a first step in disarming the world.
The inner mirrors the outer. Those conditions that upset the equilibrium of the world - anger, aggression, discord - upset our inner peace as well. You need to deal with them on both levels. Encounters with violence - a contrast to peace - invariably demonstrate the importance of this practice. Feeling worried, upset, or "crazed" can also get you started doing peace. These states often signify that your emotions have gotten the best of you, and a practice to restore your equanimity is needed. Being even-tempered creates a feeling of serenity. And whereas being agitated can drain your energy, inner calm increases your stamina so that you can sustain your efforts to make the world a more peaceful place. This time the inner supports the outer.
Our world could certainly use some peace. Wars and other types of violence are occurring all over the planet, as they have since human history began, and at times it feels impossible to imagine that peace is possible. But one thing I've learned over time is that while I may not be able to achieve or even make a dent in "world" peace, I can make a much more local contribution to peace -- within myself and with those whose paths I cross. And maybe if we were to focus our attention on inner peace and peace with our immediate relationships, it could plant seeds and help peace grow beyond our little corner of the world.
So how do we become peacemakers - how do we work to bring a sense of wholeness, fullness, completeness, and peace to our world? Within the Christian tradition, Jesus offers some helpful suggestions. Note that these are not global solutions for world peace - they begin at a much more local, personal level, dictating the behavior and attitude of individuals. For instance in Matthew 5:38 he says, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, 'Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.'" And a bit later, in Matthew 5:43-44 he says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.'"
Turn the other cheek, love your enemies. Much easier said than done, especially when we have been wronged by someone and our anger is certainly justified, or when someone else has been wronged by another individual or a societal ill and our resentment is understandable. But cheek-turning and loving our enemies, according to Jesus, are part of the formula for being a peacemaker. And when we are able to respond peacefully within ourselves and in our interactions with other people, we help plant a seed of peace that will hopefully bloom and create peace around us. (This truth is also taught in other spiritual traditions, not just within Christianity -- this is just the perspective I am using for this newsletter because it is the one I am most familiar with. However, I would love to hear from other traditions about peacemaking, and hope you will comment.)
For instance, let's say that someone cuts in front of me in line for coffee. The line is long, we both need to be somewhere, and this person just blatantly cuts in front of me with no apology or explanation. My typical response would likely be to get that person's attention and point out the obvious,"Um, excuse me, but you just cut in front of me in line." While they might not realize what they've done and apologize, moving the the back of the line, a more probably response is likely. "I was in line but had to step out to x or y or z, so not I'm just getting back where I was." Or "I'm in a hurry cut me a break," or some other excuse. They might even ignore me. I then have options. I can let it go and steam about it the rest of the day. I can insist loudly, to management or those around me, that this person cut in line and needs to be dealt with. Or I can let it go and wish them well. Which is the more peaceful response? Well of course if I let it go but am upset about it, I'm going to be angry and stew about it for a while, which will impact my interactions with others. Not very peaceful. Same if I call attention to the person and have him/her removed to the back of the line. I win, I'm happy, but now this person is upset and they are likely to strike out at others. But what if I let it go and wish them well -- meaning I REALLY let it go? What happens then?
I actually witnessed an event like this at a local coffee place. I was standing behind the person who was cut in front of, and she replied much more politely than I would have, "Excuse me, sir, you just cut in front of me in the line." He did not apologize nor offer an excuse. Instead he turned around, gave her a dirty look, and held fast to his place in line. I was about to offer to back her up and get this idiot thrown out of the place, but before I could offer, she smiled, bowed politely to him, and said, "Namaste. And then she stood there smiling serenely until it was her turn. I was shocked and started to get all riled up for her, thinking about "accidentally" tripping him when he left with his coffee. I was overwhelmed by the rudeness of this self-important man, and it hadn't even happened to me directly (though of course his actions set me back in the line as well). When she got to the counter she ordered her coffee quietly, left a nice tip in the jar, and wished the barista a good day.
I realized several things from this event. One, though it didn't directly happen to me, I could feel anger coursing through me, and I felt great anger toward the man, a total stranger. I talk a good "peace game," but here was a situation that was, in the scheme of things, pretty innocuous, and I was getting all riled up about it. Two, the woman did point out what he had done, but when he did nothing to correct it and was, in fact rude about it, she let it go, and proceeded with her morning. She smiled, wished him well with a lovely "Namaste," got her coffee, and kept on smiling. Her day was not ruined by this. Yes, she "let someone walk all over her," I suppose. But in so doing she retained her sense of peace and composure, and did not impart any negativity toward the man, no matter how deserved. And finally the man -- well, yes, he was rewarded for improper behavior. But perhaps the fact that she didn't go off on him or embarrass him had an impact and he was kinder to others. Or not.  At the very least, though, he was not provoked and perhaps left the coffee shop without provoking someone else.
The woman at the coffee shop was a peacemaker, and her efforts helped me work on some changes within myself and my dealings with people. Yes I know, it's a coffee shop and not a bombed out street in Kandahar. But if there is going to be peace on earth, we must begin with ourselves, and this is as good a start as any, I think.
WRITING EXERCISES:
• Gandhi said that "noncooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good." Write about a situation when you have found that noncooperation, nondoing, or not taking sides has supported peace.
• The next time you are tempted to rip someone apart or give them a piece of your mind, write a letter in your journal that you never send.
• Who is the most forceful and impressive peacemaker you have ever encountered? What did you learn from that person? Write about him/her.
Until next time,
Sophy |
Below you'll find items around the site about peace. Please let the folks know if you read their piece by leaving a thoughtful comment or review.
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Here are some comments from my last Spiritual Newsletter on "Be Kind to Animals" Week, "Spiritual Newsletter (May 4, 2011)" :
From ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy 
"Invalid Item"
THIS IS A TRUE STORY THAT HAPPENED AMONG MY FINCHES WHEN A THIEF STOLE SOME. I have a pet Turkey named T=bird, cottontail rabbit named Hazy Bunny, 8 finches, 2 hens named Chelsea and Golda, two doggies named Galileo and Indigo Girl. I reccommend pet turkeys for everyone because they are so intelligent, humorous and great 'watch dogs". THANK YOU FOR THE SPIRITUAL NEWSLETTER ABOUT ANIMALS.
You are welcome!
     
From jogar
I love and regard all life forms as precious and unique. However, I also believe that roe v.wade is absolutely an aberration of mans thinking. When we look at the animals and the cruelty, we get up in arms and for the most part many and many people are repelled at the idea that we take animals that can't protect themselves while many people take abuse as their "right" how they may treat their "Animals" The very fact that the very point of conception is "life". The movement and spark is the tell-tale heart in phase as the grandure as life progresses. I am a person who hastens the time when the collective humanity will realize that taking human life weather it is three weeks old or eight months old as "abuse at the highest order. Joel Schafer Garson
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
From Zeke 
I wrote an essay once that commented on how maybe God gave us pets to demonstrate unconditional love. Animals are not our enemies.
Amen!
From embe
Horses born free
to roam in the wilderness,
a memory when I was a child.
Distant bounds
of earth.
A thunder cloud
lights the sky,
a mournful cry;
hail wind and fire
falling down
along the shores.
The Stallion grey
neighs in pain,
the lighting strike
pierces within;
rolling to his knees
dreaming of home
on the windy shores,
where he was born
from noble stock;
bred for hardship
to rise up standing
lashing out in anger;
his hooves clashing
a frightening sound;
his fetlock stamping
the grass to feed him.
The mare in foal
standing proud,
answering the call;
to guide him home
in strength and pride;
the spirit of power
there to heal him
in pastures green,
his head held high
snorting at the wind
to form the clouds;
the lighting hiding
from the horses,
racing the waves
before the wind!
"Triumphantly free."
Thanks for sharing this! 
From A.T.B: It'sWhatWeDo
Thank you for such an excellent NL, Sophy. Lately, my mother and I have been speaking a lot about St. Francis of Assisi due to the odd number of animals that have moved and live somehow content on these 14 acres...we have a mountain lioness with 2 cubs (from the tracks we find) and a shaggy, white wolf that seems to enjoy waking me up at odd hours. It's surreal at times, finding evidence of or seeing them close to the house; if God is in all things, though, I feel we are truly blessed if not simply to provide a haven for two animals that were once so prevalent and commonplace - and I welcome anything that thins the population of wayward tom-turkeys, attacking their reflections in the side of my car. Take care and thanks again!
Wow how amazing for you to share your little corner of the earth with such beautiful creatures! How blessed you are, and thank you for sharing.
From Specter
I see Anatole France used one key word in her statement: "unwakened" in reference to "soul". Could this mean spiritual death? Or love is the measure to awaken (revive) the soul to respond to the natural element of existence? So what is in order for love to understand in its awakening? Caring? Peace? Hope? Answers to a million questions? (Whereas, love stands up in a beastly world).
slick
Excellent questions to ponder, thank you.
Please keep your comments and suggestions coming, they are greatly appreciated!
Sophy |
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Spiritual: June 01, 2011 Issue [#4425]
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