VIOLENCE
ON EARTH or PEACE ON EARTH
Imagine greeting people with a blessing of “Violence” as in,
“Violence to you and your family.” Of course violence has been a part of life
for millennia. And we often hear that peace is fragile in some part of the world.
But we hope for peace. And some of us work for peace.
In the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, peace follows
justice. That makes sense. We hear news stories of violent protests following a
legal decision that seems unjust. Peace follows justice. Injustice disrupts
peace. Future peace is predicated on evidence that the offended people will be
treated justly.
The image of peace created by the Hebrew prophet Isaiah strikes
us as strange. What kind of world would it be if a wolf and a lamb could eat together without the latter being the meal? A wise lamb would flee from the presence of a wolf. In the
Bible, many texts admonish people to live righteously and justly. True,
biblical notions of justice involve right relationships with God. But they are
also about right relationships with other persons, regardless of their
ethnicity. People who count as strangers (Leviticus 19:34) deserve to be
treated fairly.
And for Christians, peace is often a theme for the second Sunday of Advent. Peace is a theme for the season.
DEVELOPING
INNER PEACE
There are spiritual and psychological aspects to developing inner
peace. People on the verge of death are sometimes encouraged to “make peace
with their maker.” Most of the world’s people are religious. And they are concerned with life beyond life. Peace with God
requires an appreciation of justice. When people sense they have done wrong
they wish to be forgiven. Faith provides a path to forgiveness. Forgiven people
sense an inner peace. But often they need the help of a member of the clergy or
a clinician to accept forgiveness and let go of the troubling and unsettling
inner disturbance. Anytime is a good time to “let it go.”
Whether religious or not, self-forgiveness works. And
self-forgiveness seems to follow the same process of learning to forgive
others. Here's a link to a book on self-forgiveness and a research study: Moving Forward.
DEVELOPING
INTERPERSONAL PEACE
People who work for justice are working for peace. The
scales of justice is an image that implies that a balance is needed. People
need to be treated fairly within their society. Special treatment of one group
or another is unjust. People constantly seek benefits for themselves and their
kin or group. If they win special favors, they foster injustice and seek to
disrupt peace. Peacemakers support just and equitable treatment of all persons.
Reconciliation is one process that can restore peace
following a disruption. The reconciliation process is built on trust. Words
alone will not build trust. Trust happens one day at a time. Every act of good
faith builds trust. Every violation of a commitment to fairness and equality
destroys trust. I have written about reconciliation before.
10 WAYS TO PROMOTE PEACE
Here are some suggestions about promoting peace. Do share
more in the comments section.
1. Promote
peace by emphasizing improvements in policies and practices that foster justice
for all persons in a community or workplace.
2. Resist the urge to characterize all of a person's life based on a few or even many failings.
3. Consider mercy when justice is required.
4. Take a stand against violence and protect the vulnerable.
5. Consider the possibility that people can be transformed rather than assume people will never change.
6. Learn conflict management skills.
7. Seek support when dealing with difficult people.
8. Practice
self-forgiveness to experience inner peace.
9. Practice
forgiveness of others to lessen internal distress.
10. Consider
the possibility of reconciliation when others appear ready to rebuild trust.
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