The Seeds of Peace

“We often think of peace as the absence of war, that if powerful countries would reduce their weapon arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds- our own prejudices, fears and ignorance. Even if we transport all the bombs to the moon, the roots of war and the roots of bombs are still there, in our hearts and minds, and sooner or later we will make new bombs. To work for peace is to uproot war from ourselves and from the hearts of men and women. To prepare for war, to give millions of men and women the opportunity to practice killing day and night in their hearts, is to plant millions of seeds of violence, anger, frustration, and fear that will be passed on for generations to come. ”

Thich Nhat Hanh, Living Buddha, Living Christ

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the seeds of war are within us

planted deeply in our souls

in that fertile earth that is our hearts

 

they lie there and wait to bloom

the anger, the greed

the lust for power

the hunger for wealth

 

the fear that must be satisfied

the fear of being less

of losing

of not having enough

of being irrelevant

 

the hate

camouflaged as envy

prejudice

ideology

 

water the seeds and they bloom

sending roots deep in our soul

sending tendrils like morning glory

twining through our being

 

water the seeds with

nationalism

religion

and the toxic ideology of dominion

 

and soon the fruits ripen

into guns

and jets and bombs

 

into oppression

and injustice

and death

 

and more seeds are planted

into the hearts of men and women

into the hearts of children

whose lives are torn and shredded

by war

 

and so it goes

on and on and on and on

war after war after war

millions of seeds of violence, anger, frustration, and fear…

passed on for generations to come

 

millions of damaged people

in whom war has been planted

 

we must uproot war from our hearts

that need to win, to control

to have more

to feed those toxic hungers that lead to war

 

it is no easy task in a world filled with people like

Putin

Trump

Tucker Carlson

 

those who think they flourish on the food of hate and enmity

those who use the abuse of power to satisfy their hungry ghosts

much as addicts use drugs

 

what do we do in a world where power and war are a drug of choice?

 

we must nourish the seeds of peace

the seeds of peace within each one of us

we must nourish compassion and understanding

kindness, and forgiveness

 

yes, it seems weak

and yet,

was Jesus weak?

Gandhi?

Martin Luther King Jr.?

Nelson Mandela

Desmond Tutu?

 

those people who refused to water the seeds of hate

but instead watered

through meditation and prayer

the seeds of love?

 

on the cross Jesus looked hate and violence in the face

and said “this stops here”

we are called to do the same

 

we are to let Love so control our hearts

our souls

our minds

that who we are is not seen in guns and jets

but in baskets of food and vials of medicine

 

Tay once noted that “Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see.

 

Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it”

 

this day, as bombs fall and

tyrants posture and lie

and wounded souls rally around the God of War

 

may we walk for peace

may we breathe in love

may we breathe out peace

may we empty our hearts of hate

and fill them with understanding and compassion

 

and then may we stand

as are the students in Tbilisi and St. Peterburg

then may we kneel

as are the people of Ukraine

and strive for peace

 

and then may we love

Jesus said “love your enemies”

Love has redemptive power

 

so just keep loving

love accumulates, it builds up

perhaps, at first, it engenders more hate, even more violence

but we have to keep loving

until the power of love transforms

and wins

 

we have no other choice