Tag: Peace

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Found him not

All this talk about Islam and Muslims has awakened a hunger within me to know more. One of my favorites is a Sufi mystic, Rumi. Rumi lived in the 13th century and though they were thousand of miles apart he was a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi.

I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not. I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there. I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not. With set purpose I fared to the summit of Mount Caucasus and found there only anqa’s habitation.

Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there even. Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from ibn Sina but found Him not within his range. I fared then to the scene of the Prophet’s experience of a great divine manifestation only a “two bow-lengths’ distance from him” but God was not there even in that exalted court.

Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.–Rumi

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Peace Train

I got an email today from a guy who wants me to believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim and because of that he’s not fit to lead the United States of America. I don’t care if he’s a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, or an atheist. America is not a theocracy. I love this song by Yusuf Islam. Yusuf is a convert to his faith. He’s not an American, but he’s clearly my brother in the quest for peace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wEctHyuc0]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

–U.S. Constitution.

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Paradox of peace

I got this quote in today’s mail from the Merton Institute and it really resonated for me. The second sentence here is right on target.

Paradoxically, I have found peace because I have always been dissatisfied. My moments of depression and despair turn out to be renewals, new beginnings. If I were once to settle down and be satisfied with the surface of life, with its divisions and its clichés, it would be time to call in the undertaker. …So, then, this dissatisfaction which sometimes used to worry me and has certainly, I know, worried others, has helped me in fact to move freely and even gaily with the stream of life. My unspoken (or spoken) protests have kept me from clinging to what was already done with. When a thought is done, let go of it. When something has been written, publish it, and go on to something else. You may say the same thing again someday, on a deeper level. No one needs to have a compulsion to be utterly and perfectly “original” in every word he writes.

Thomas Merton. A Thomas Merton Reader. Thomas P. McDonnel, editor. New York: Doubleday, Inc., 1962:16

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St. Francis Springs

This morning Brother Joe and I will drive from Mt. Irenaeus to St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville, North Carolina. We’re going to a Peace and Justice Retreat sponsored by Holy Name Province of the Franciscan Friars. We were there a couple of years ago and though I’ve given up hope of any real or lasting peace in this world or this country in particular I will enjoy the trip, Brother Joe’s company and the stillness of this lovely center.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjgtb9591NI]

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Silence

Lately my thoughts have been more and more silence. I’ve had little to write about nor little to share. I’ve been writing about what I’m doing with open source software, but have had very little that I cared to share about on this writing space. The election is boring. I have little hope that the election will bring any real change no matter who is elected. It’s all about corporations these days and not about the will of the people if indeed it ever was.  I’ll be traveling on Friday to St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in North Carolina for a Holy Name Province Peace and Justice Retreat.

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Working together

I am convinced that only through working together can we win the disagreements and misunderstandings that lead to war. I am equally convinced that some countries like my own will never be at peace until they can see how much money they gain from being at peace. I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.

  • The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger, and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and compassion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.–Dalai Lama
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Merton to the rescue

Lately I’ve been very troubled. I dare say, I’ve been depressed with all the bad news that surrounds us. I’ve been consumed by the myriad troubles of the world because I care too deeply. Today I got a message from the Merton Foundation that resonates for me. I hope it does for you too.

What is wanted now is not simply the Christian who takes an inner complacency in the words and example of Christ, but who seeks to follow Christ perfectly, not only in his own personal life, not only in prayer and penance, but also in his political commitments and in all social responsibilities.

We have certainly no need for a pseudo-contemplative spirituality that claims to ignore the world and its problems entirely, and devotes itself supposedly to the things of God, without concern for human society. All true Christian spirituality, even that of the Christian contemplative, is and must always be deeply concerned with man, since “God became man in order that man might become God” (St. Irenaeus). The Christian spirit is one of compassion, of responsibility and of commitment. It cannot be indifferent to suffering, to injustice, error, and untruth.

Thomas Merton. Peace in the Post-Christian Era. Edited by Patricia A. Burton (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2004): 135.

I need balance and was thinking of giving all this up. I may yet. I’ve not felt the urge to write or better yet to write well. I’ve felt very down, but Merton has given me hope and shown me that it is quite normal and desirable to see a world where you and I are called to action. Maybe that action is just a prayer now and then.

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Winter Soldier

On Sunday I found myself inside a church on Jamestown Island in Virginia. The church is a replica of the original that stood on that ground in the early 17th century. Posted at the front of the church were the Ten Commandments. One of them stated, “you shall not kill.” How often we hear reference to the Ten Commandments and how posting them would restore value to our society and our country. More important than posting them is having them written in our hearts. This soldier’s testimony is more poignant than posting the commandments. Apparently certain values were written on his heart at one time and no amount of military training can permanently remove them. Watch the video here.

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The cost of war

This video came from the American Friends Service Committee website and it’s very powerful. As we approach Memorial Day let us consider what other memorials there could be. War is not nor does it have to be the only memorial. There are other ways to help our fellows.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnq6cD5jk1Q]

Sign a petition to end and defund the war and put our tax dollars to work for human needs here at home.

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Friends for Peace

Today when I arrived home from work I checked my mail. The largest parcel came from the American Friends Service Committee. When I opened the large envelope it contained a poster that can be displayed that simply states Friends for Peace.  The American Friends Service Committee holds a special place in my heart. They are people who never seem to grow tired of working for peace.  The letter invited me to contribute and at the same time send a letter to my elected representatives asking them to do their constitutional duty and end this War in Iraq. You too can defund the War by following this link.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmE0zPEpc84&feature=related]