Peace On Earth

 I just saw the Dalai Lama recently. He’s so adorable. He laughs at himself and often rambles like an old man who has stories to tell you. His heart for interfaith peace touches a cord within me (not interfaith in the sense of merging all religions into one, but mutual respect and understanding among different religious traditions). The world seems to be at war with itself. Religions are sparring and making matters worse. When I think of a world figure who is out there globally promoting peace and non-violence, only the Dalai Lama comes to mind. He is our Gandhi, our Martin Luther King, and our Nelson Mandela of the 21^st century. There are no Christians that come to mind (you think there would be). There are no Hindu’s, Jews, or Muslims who’s peaceful voices rises above the hateful din of today. 

For such a time as this, this 76 year-old Buddhist monk, whose humbly draped in burgundy and orange robes, has a message worth listening to. He’s not here to force his Buddhist message. In fact, he said, “Stay with your faith tradition, it’s too confusing when you switch.” He’s not threatened by other people’s faith. Because he has enough life experience, and knows that major religions have love at their core; he says we can only have peace if we allow our sense of compassion to rise above our differences. With urgency in his voice, head forward and finger pointed he states, “Non-violence means using dialogue, using our language, the human language. Dialogue means compromise; respecting each other’s rights’ in the spirit of reconciliation there is a real solution to conflict and disagreement. This is the practical way, the only way. Wars arise from a failure to understand one another’s humanness. Instead of summit meetings, why not have families meet for a picnic and get to know each other while the children play together.” Isn’t that brilliant? Leave it to a monk to come up with a solution that has nothing to do with politics.  That is why I dig the Dalai Lama.

He shared how to go about having dialogue with those whom we disagree: First, find out what you have in common. Second, understand each other’s differences. Third, go to each other’s places of worship or homes and experience it together.

There are so many reasons to promote peace: famine, political wars, genocide, human trafficking and child prostitution, black market nuclear weapons, world economic instability—to name a few. Sheesh, how do we sleep at night? Is peace of any kind possible on a large scale? I worry because of the attachment to family, tribal, and national biases get passed on from generation to generation and become difficult to undo. When you pile on tit-for-tat behavior, the cycle never ends. 

Even Jesus warned his people of big picture changes that needed to take place and the inevitable consequences that would unfold if they did not. Jesus promoted peace. He said in Matt 26:52, “Put your sword back into its place; for those who live by the sword, die by the sword.” So what do we do about our enemies (or ‘frenemies’)? Again he said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” Easier said then done, right? Ah, but it’s a worthy pursuit to figure out how to go about being at peace with one another. However, peace is not easy. In order for there to be external peace there has to be some internal work in our hearts. Peace will cost you something.

Humility isn’t my strong suit. It has taken a herculean effort over the years by God’s Spirit to finally get my attention so I can let go of my pit-bull grip on ‘being right’. I like ‘being right’ like I like chocolate. Don’t get me wrong, even though I want peace, sometimes I just want to smack hateful people upside the head for being mean-spirited. I doubt the Dalai Lama (or Jesus) would do any smacking? True, but they’ve been meditating in gardens longer than I have. 

Peace matters to me because I didn’t grow up in a peaceful home. You knew when you were on someone’s ‘shit-list’, and you better do whatever necessary to get off it or else. I was the oldest and the most outspoken. Guess who was the lightening rod in the family? Even though those years where agonizing relationally living in our home, I have fond memories of my childhood. I think part of me was able to compartmentalize. I’d found joy and peace in simple things. Which is kind of hard to believe when I look back on those years. The music of WLS and The Loop radio saved me, along with dance, swimming or lying out by our pool, taking naps, and going over to friend’s houses. Those were sanctuary moments where I was able to live in peaceful moment without a care in the world.

Nowadays, I listen to Pandora instead of the Loop. And I’m more aware then ever the importance of working on my own internal and external peace. I’ve noticed a few things this summer while riding my bike, taking walks, or doing yoga on the patio: nature is so peaceful and orderly. The trees are not freaking out that the birds land on them. The morning doves are not yelling at the blue jays because they crossed their path. The bees are not taking something that doesn’t belong to them as they hover from flower to flower. The ants are minding their own business instead of holding grudges with the worms. No wonder we all feel a sense of calm when we spend any amount of time in nature.

Peace within, peace without—I want it for myself, and the rest of the world. Because, seriously, what's the alternative? 

John F. Kennedy in a commencement address to the American University five months before he was assassinated said this about peace, in relation to the Russian threat. “Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it’s impossible. Too many of us think it unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable—that mankind is doomed—that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. We need to not accept that view. Our problems are manmade—therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man’s reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable—and we believe they can do it again. I am not referring to the absolute, infinite concept of peace and good will which some fantasies and fanatics dream. I do not deny the value of hopes and dreams but we merely invite discouragement and incredulity by making that our only and immediate goal. Let us focus instead on a more practical, more attainable peace.”

Jesus said, “My peace I give you, my peace I leave you.” Jesus was called ‘The Prince of Peace’. Peace defines His mission, His message, His kingdom. If we are all called to be His ambassadors than shouldn’t we too be ambassadors of peace? The Apostle Peter told the church 2,000 years ago: “Seek peace, and pursue it.” So thank God for the Dalai Lama, who reminds us of a role that all of us (including Christians) should be actively engaged in—promoting peace in a world of hatred, division, and violence. A world that needs us to be engaged in pursuing peace not just waiting for it to happen once we get to heaven.