The peace movement. What is it? What is moving? Where are we moving to?I ask these questions in earnest as it seems I hit my head against one proverbial wall or another. The focus gets skewed by all the different directions that are being taken in the quest to create a movement that includes all. And then I realized I was missing some salient points about peacemaking and the MOVEMENT.
One thing is clear. We get disappointed and discouraged. The reason most of us get discouraged and disappointed is that things are not going our way! Simple. We aren't getting what we want out of the movement and we don't see the way clear. But, that's what the movement is about. The movement is the doing. The movement is the crashes. The movement is the disappointments. The movement is the baby steps of creating and the movement is the successes as well as the failures. But the movement is that ... MOVING. We are working towards creating and re-creating our world and while it seems that we have these setbacks (the capture of Christian peacemakers: Tom Fox, Norman Kember, James Loney, and Harmeet Singh Sooden in Iraq; the murder of Taize leader, Brother Roger), we are making progress. I live in that hope.
The questions we must ask of ourselves are:
1. What is my commitment?
2. Where am I willing to go?
3. What am I willing to do?
4. What am I willing to sacrifice?
5. What are my intentions?
The other questions depend on where you are in the movement, but can be key in ascertaining your own direction and the merit of the work that you do. Last week, the Department of Peace-Houston group met to 'exercise' the movement. We met at a little peace coffee house for about two hours, enjoying fellowship and a meal. Some of the questions included the simple ones: What was the most fun you've had this past year? What is your highest dream for yourself?
But the other questions communicated where we were here in Houston. Those questions included:
Discuss the nature of fear. How did fear come up for you as it related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita?
How do you handle disagreements?
How do you communicate to people you disagree with?
What does it mean to be a peacemaker and what does it mean to the world around you?
What do you expect from yourself?
When we are a world at peace, what will that look like?
What is the next step you want to take in creating peace in your life? In the world?
What are the changes you will make to be the change you wish to see in the world?
Hearing the stories that night was so important. It made me realize that we aren't communicating enough in settings that allow us to be vunerable AND safe. We must create these sacred and safe spaces and we must be so inclusive in our design. The design must be created out of desire to build bridges of hope instead of walls of despair. That is one gift. The other gifts include the sharing of our 'faith,' the giving of our 'grace and compassion,' and the depth of our 'love.'
So, again ... ponder the questions. BUT ... seek out the answers.
Being the peace I wish to see ... P.K.
