Peace.
Is there such a thing?
To be gravely honest, I have ushered in the renowned day with a conscience of tumult and restlessness - as last night I was once again reminded of what sets me apart from my academic allies, the moment I step out of that dysfunctional contraption of a School Bus and reluctantly embark into the war-zone that is my four-walled commorancy.
So now, as I ponder, I am, in fact, patiently and attentively awaiting the departure of 'the cat' so that, as the saying goes, I 'the mouse' can play. Lamentably though, the coast is, as yet, most certainly not clear.
How? But how is this any way to carry out a day of universal ceasefire and nonviolence?
And so I question once more - is there, realistically, such a thing as peace; for it has indubitably remained this idealistic , ravenously sought after, almost alien concept since time immemorial.
Truth to tell, the world pursuing peace on this yearly occasion is, to me, like the blind bull who chases after the enticing red cloak, not knowing how it looks like, where it is, or, in the least, how to find it.
So, I presume the better question holds, am I the only blind bull on the all important World Peace Day? The annual day of global unity and intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never known?
21st September.
It's funny how the human race has taken to allocating single days to a specific moral virtue. An unwitting day indeed as it utterly disregards the unassailable fact that peace is not "a 'thing' that can materialize all at once, out of nothing, just because people get tired of strife and violence," but is rather "a process that takes place over time, as we learn to lay aside our self-centerdness."
It is therefore at such moments that we look to historic icons of the 'olive branch'; references of true acts of peace - Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr... The list knows no end...
And so here are the expressions of but a few:
"All works of love are works of peace" - Mother Theresa
".. So we must fix our vision not only on the negative expulsion of war, but on the positive affirmations of peace" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
My most favored, however, is Eleanor Roosevelt's take on the pervasive subject of peace, in which she points, "It isn't enough to talk about peace, one must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it; one must work at it."
No surprise this was the mentality that inspired her advocacy for expanded roles for women in the workplace, the civil rights of African Americans and Asian Americans, and the rights of World War II refugees.
And thus, we find that in order to work towards peace, one must relinquish all vices and assume a facade of purity.
If you have been a steadfast reader, as I wish to imagine, you'd know that I am ever so keen to conclude affairs with a counselling teaching from James Allen's plethora of motivational works.
Before you, a meditative poem I pray will guide you forth through the rest of this day.
The end of evil
All evil passes from us when we find
The Way of Good ; when word and deed and mind
Are shaped to Truth and Wisdom; then we see
The end of bondage and captivity.
All good is ever with us ; we but want
Wisdom to take it; we are poor and scant
Only in lacking wisdom ; that acquired,
The good is ours that we so long desired.
Be still any soul and know that peace is thine;
Be steadfast, heart, and know that strength divine
Belongs to thee : cease from thy turmoil, mind,
And thou the Everlasting Rest shalt find.
Is there such a thing?
To be gravely honest, I have ushered in the renowned day with a conscience of tumult and restlessness - as last night I was once again reminded of what sets me apart from my academic allies, the moment I step out of that dysfunctional contraption of a School Bus and reluctantly embark into the war-zone that is my four-walled commorancy.
So now, as I ponder, I am, in fact, patiently and attentively awaiting the departure of 'the cat' so that, as the saying goes, I 'the mouse' can play. Lamentably though, the coast is, as yet, most certainly not clear.
How? But how is this any way to carry out a day of universal ceasefire and nonviolence?
And so I question once more - is there, realistically, such a thing as peace; for it has indubitably remained this idealistic , ravenously sought after, almost alien concept since time immemorial.
Truth to tell, the world pursuing peace on this yearly occasion is, to me, like the blind bull who chases after the enticing red cloak, not knowing how it looks like, where it is, or, in the least, how to find it.
So, I presume the better question holds, am I the only blind bull on the all important World Peace Day? The annual day of global unity and intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never known?
21st September.
It's funny how the human race has taken to allocating single days to a specific moral virtue. An unwitting day indeed as it utterly disregards the unassailable fact that peace is not "a 'thing' that can materialize all at once, out of nothing, just because people get tired of strife and violence," but is rather "a process that takes place over time, as we learn to lay aside our self-centerdness."
It is therefore at such moments that we look to historic icons of the 'olive branch'; references of true acts of peace - Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr... The list knows no end...
And so here are the expressions of but a few:
"All works of love are works of peace" - Mother Theresa
".. So we must fix our vision not only on the negative expulsion of war, but on the positive affirmations of peace" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
My most favored, however, is Eleanor Roosevelt's take on the pervasive subject of peace, in which she points, "It isn't enough to talk about peace, one must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it; one must work at it."
No surprise this was the mentality that inspired her advocacy for expanded roles for women in the workplace, the civil rights of African Americans and Asian Americans, and the rights of World War II refugees.
And thus, we find that in order to work towards peace, one must relinquish all vices and assume a facade of purity.
If you have been a steadfast reader, as I wish to imagine, you'd know that I am ever so keen to conclude affairs with a counselling teaching from James Allen's plethora of motivational works.
Before you, a meditative poem I pray will guide you forth through the rest of this day.
The end of evil
All evil passes from us when we find
The Way of Good ; when word and deed and mind
Are shaped to Truth and Wisdom; then we see
The end of bondage and captivity.
All good is ever with us ; we but want
Wisdom to take it; we are poor and scant
Only in lacking wisdom ; that acquired,
The good is ours that we so long desired.
Be still any soul and know that peace is thine;
Be steadfast, heart, and know that strength divine
Belongs to thee : cease from thy turmoil, mind,
And thou the Everlasting Rest shalt find.
My most favored, however, is Eleanor Roosevelt's take on the pervasive subject of peace, in which she points, "It isn't enough to talk about peace, one must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it; one must work at it."- I have to say I agree with you on this, It's just brilliant and creative and weirdly haunting because it evokes so many thoughts about what we as humans can do to promote peace
ReplyDeleteBy the way you're a fantastic writer! x
I love the way in which you intertwine your words around in each other. Like a snake around it's master; a sort of smothering adoration, withholding the violence.
ReplyDeletePeace is unfortunately but a myth to the generation present as our world leaders. We, the youth, are ready to work on peace, and it must be our guarded duty to fulfil it, together.
I'm immensely glad and flattered that you appreciate my writing style..
Deleteand I really admire the analogy of the snake and the master
I strongly agree with your point: the fight for peace (notice the irony) needs to involve the youth more and more.. look at Malala Yousafzai, for example, a 17-yr old advocate for peace, who has only recently won the Nobel Peace Prize! Now that, I believe, is the example we, the youth, must all emulate :)