Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Wo/Men
What a thought. What an idea. Impossible, you think? I think not. Question is, what would Peace on Earth look like? Here’s what it would look like to me. It begins within myself, the only place where I have a modicum of “control.”
We might conceive of Peace on Earth in terms of the end of disagreements. I think not. Currently, we have over 6 billion perspectives on this planet. That’s 6 billion opinions. 6 billion positions that think they’re “right” versus others being “wrong.” We won’t come in contact with each of these people; only an infintessimally small percentage. However, over a lifetime, our influence spreads much farther, touches far more than we generally consider. Not only do we affect more than we think, we make lasting impressions, pattern affecting impacts, on many, even when we’re unaware that it is happening. Therefore, disagreements, as well as ideological, and sometimes plain old idiotic alignments will continue to happen, but they don’t have to become catalysts for conflict.
I can reasonably assume that all of the people with whom I, or my thoughts touch, will not agree with me at all times, or see things as I see them at all times. Yet, I can allow them to be in their place, as it does not threaten me in mine. In fact, at some times, others may have better, meaning more workable or useful, ideas than me. Even if that is not the case in any given instant, I don’t require others to do or see things as I do in order for me to be at peace with myself.
So you say, “Okay, but what about when someone is antagonistic, or even hostile toward you?”
The worst thing I can do is be antagonistic or hostile back. Doesn’t mean that I agree, or allow someone to do physical harm to me, but violence rarely, if ever, occurs in a vacuum. Only by being willing to return hostility with hostility, do I virtually ensure that escalated hostility will occur. On the other hand, by being at peace with myself, I would not be giving the main thing that a hostile individual feeds off of… i.e., fear.
Hostility and violent behavior is predicated on fear, not only by the victim, but the perpetrator. Fear is something we “transmit” on sub- or unconscious levels, working like electromagnetic waves, to bring us into situations that then allow them to be experientially exercised. It would be too simple to say that we must simply stop being fearful, for if we are fearful of something, then we will be fearful of it, until we face the situation and realize that it’s no longer “worth” being fearful about.
What about fear of death? That’s one that is so pervasive and deep for many, that they don’t even want to talk about it. One intent of my book, I Am My Body, NOT! is to help us begin seeing death as a natural process and part of our life experience on earth. If we have entered this reality, then we’re going to eventually leave it. However, it need not be a fearful experience, and we need not allow ourselves to be manipulated due to the fear for our survival. This begs the question of who and what we are. And as you can tell by the title of my book, we are not our body.
But how does all this help us see what Peace on Earth would look like?
Certainly, one who is at peace, is not “in fear.” And yet, even if you’re not at peace, you don’t have to be in fear. It’s reasonable to worry about things or people, and not be fearful about them. How many people are fearful of getting heart attacks or cancer because someone they know had it? Or are fearful of violence because it happened to someone a couple doors away? If you look at such happenings and start taking “preventative measures,” then you’re giving energy to its inevitability.
Energy is life. While some people do indeed have unfortunate experiences with violence, many more are affected by the residue that forms in its wake. They put bars on the windows of their homes, which actually identify them as someone who is fearful of invasion. They install alarms (much to the delight of the “alert” people). They keep low profiles and curtail their activity, all in the name of “playing it safe.” What they’re really doing, is handing their life over to fear. And reasons to maintain that posture will then continue coming to them.
Of course, it’s natural to assume that because I am fearful about this or that, then everyone is too, or should be. Not so. That’s like saying because one is a Christian or Muslim, or Democrat or Republican, then everyone should be that too. Talk about an uninteresting world if we had just one point of view…
However, I believe that a world at peace, without major violence and hatred, without famine and war, would be a very interesting place. It wouldn’t be without death, but it would be without fear of unnatural and unreasonable death. I believe that without the distraction of militarism, polarism, and forms of “I’m-better-than-you-are-ism,” we’ll have a better chance to interact with each other, discovering the treasures that each human being posseses. By being at peace, we set a new benchmark of normalcy.
Imagine driving your car without road rage or idiotic tailgating. Okay, you can have idiodic tailgating without road rage. What I’m getting at is that much of what happens in life will continue on, for some time to come. There will still be disease, but I believe it will diminish as we continue to learn more about our spiritual nature that co-mingles and interacts with our physical humanity. Yet, even with disease, we can be at peace.
There may still be violence and mayhem. But we can yet be at peace. I believe that affirming a peaceful view and response to fear is the only real way to conquer it; in other words, to win the battle. As long as we are “in fear,” we’re also its servant, and as such, maintainers of the status quo.
I’ll let my Peace on Earth begin with me. Let your Peace on Earth begin with You. Peace can spread just like any virus. Except it leaves joy in its wake, because Joy is its Essence.
