Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, March 23, 2016
PEACE = Love and Respect
Continuing on my Pursuing PEACE Project, today I continued to ask people for their personal definitions of PEACE. Thanks, Oakton Community College, for allowing me to come in to the space next to the cafeteria and set up a space. And, I am grateful to the Oakton Christian Fellowship for sitting by me and providing a welcome.
The next conversation I had over lunch time today was with Ben. A thoughtful man, he said “PEACE equals loving each other and respecting each other.”
Fascinating. I asked him to give me some more information about his definition. He was glad to do it. “I am currently in a Sociology class. We are learning about societies trying to sustain themselves.” He and I dialogued, and I understood him to say that society sees the maintenance of PEACE as a good and desirable thing.
Ben continued: “To have peace, we first have to start with love. If [as a society] you don’t have love, you have hatred. And, hatred is bad.”
How interesting, to view PEACE as a societal construct, and the acquisition and maintenance of PEACE as beneficial for all members of society. I must admit, I have not thought as much about that aspect of PEACE. Instead, I have much more interest in PEACE on a smaller scale: say, in a family or a group of people, or in relationships, or perhaps even within myself.
God, thank You for the grand variations of personal definitions! Thank You for your infinite variations of different kinds of people. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to listen to many different views. Help me to remain open to each person’s ideas and viewpoints. Lord, in Your mercy, hear my prayers.
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