專四晨讀美文：The Practice of Peace

The Practice of Peace
There are many areas
in which peace needs to be accomplished-
within ourselves, between ourselves and others,
and between ourselves and the divine.
When any part is out of balance,
a lasting peace cannot be maintained.
A state of peace does not grow out of a false sense of safety,
but out of understanding how to interact with the forces
we are subjected to.
Rather than reacting automatically,
we must learn how to best respond.
Automatic, habitual reactions lead us and others
into blind alleys.
Responding, on the other hand, includes response-ability,
the power to see things as they are,
stay balanced and make an appropriate response.
This is the action of seeking peace.
Many may not be aware of the enormous power
their choices and actions have
upon their lives and the lives of others.
It has been said that even a small amount of real love
has the power to dissolve mountains of hate.
The wonder is why we are so mean with our good will,
why we hold onto thoughts of hatred and revenge.
Seeing this is the first step. Letting go comes next.
Rather than pretending to be loving and peaceful,
we must learn how to actively work
with all that opposes peace.
We must learn how to work with our fear and anger
when it arises.
Even in the midst of anger we can be peaceful,
if we learn how to handle it properly.
In this way we pursue and practice peace.