Chapter 56 - Stoking the Fires of Peace - Strength for the Journey
Every single human Being, even if merely at a deep & hidden level, desires for Peace. No one, at the very least, Truly wants their own life to be destroyed (or adversely affected) by conflict. This drive, paradoxically, can lead directly to conflict, often in a preemptive fashion, aka "kill them before they kill us" sort of thinking. Given the current state of world (and common personal) affairs, this seems quite logical & rational. Once the initial die is cast, events move forward in an ostensibly endless cycle of tit-for-tat style entropy.
It is often lamented of the more pacifistically-minded among us that they do not fully appreciate, nor comprehend, the full impact of violence upon culture. To some measure, I feel there may be Truth to this assessment. Those who have personally overcome violence in their own lives hold a more visceral understanding of the magnitude & scale of the situation. In he/she whose life has been touched (or torn apart) by forceful actions & behaviors, the physical (physiological, biochemical, etc), emotional, mental & spiritual effects are no longer theoretical, coming to the forefront of daily living until effectively transmuted.
'Turning the other cheek' seems a perfectly noble concept, but how does it actually work or apply in combat? In the midst of domestic violence? In any sort of abusive environment? Peace lived is much more difficult than Peace preached.
Any growing strong desire to bring our personally-found Peace to others & society must be tempered with the Wisdom of Prudence, or else we are liable continue the cycle of pitting force against force. Love overtakes Fear (Hatred, Force, Violence, etc) by example, by a Creationary process, not through a spirit of combativeness.
Our current forcefully-oriented culture exists in a vacuum. Insufficient Love, Compassion, Forgiveness (one-sided procedure) & Reconciliation (two-way process) have left a void, long filled with pain & suffering. To bring Love back into this environment requires (at times) a superhuman (Divine) supply Inner Strength, Fortitude & Courage.
Leadership, Action & Resolve are called for. We must begin creating Love at a rate that surpasses all it encounters. This is possible, and together we can accomplish it. As with many things in life, Leadership is sorely lacking, there is not enough to go around. Locate, close with, and overwhelm all resistance, through providing creative solutions that benefit actual human Beings.