What all men are really after is some form, or perhaps only some formula, of peace.
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) influential Polish-born British novelist, works include The Heart of Darkness
| Daily Guidance: What does peace have to do with Renewal? Can you have one without the other? |
Peace is one of the words people look for on the Wisdom Wheel, but peace is not a Universal Law. When we live by the Laws of Right Relationship, Trust, ecetera peace can be the result but that is the effect not the cause. Likewise we cannot fight for the cause of peace. The 'war on drugs,' the 'war on terrorism' and all the other warring won’t bring Balance, harmony and peace. War does not respect the Laws of Nature, Spirit and the Universe. It is all about mankinds' imbalance and inabilities. It can take a long time, especially for those with Warrior energy, to understand why this is true. Last night Malcolm and I spent the evening at a gathering organized by a peace-minded friend. Born under the Law of Renewal, she has recently gotten involved with the legislative effort to formally establish a United States Department of Peace. As the new District Coordinator for our state, she is heading the local campaign to make sure the bill designed to create this permanent Peace Department gets Congressional and Senate approval. Everyone who attended this initial meeting at her home commented on the positive energy and how refreshing it is to be for something aimed at solving the problems we face, instead of remaining in perpetual opposition to the policies and spending priorities of our government. My friend is not a pie-in-the-sky idealist, nor is she an angry, anti-war activist. She's a registered Republican, working conscientiously at the most pragmatic, sustainable plan I’ve heard so far. Restructuring the spending of our tax dollars is how to press the levers in a capitlist democracy. This historic bill, to create a Peace Department, was introduced in September 2005 by Congressman Dennis Kucinch and Senator Mark Dayton. (see www.ThePeaceAlliance.org for more). Why wouldn't the government want a department staffed with well-qualified professionals who are experts at the subject of peace? Like their colleagues at the State Department and the Department of Defense they'd be expected to have as many years of on-the-job training and genuine, proven alternatives to offer. Returning military veterans could graduate to the Department of Peace, much like Native American warriors, who put down their bows and arrows or rifles to pick up the pipe of peace, as they were elevated to the role of the spiritual warrior. Old soldiers know the waste of war better than anyone else and why we have to renew our efforts to find better ways. I've begun to imagine the lives saved and the trillions of additional dollars that would become available for investment in wiser projects if we stopped waging war. As our friend takes up this goal, I realze she is 52 years old, currently living under the Law of Surrender. Her priorities have always been spiritual, since her home domain is on the North side of the Wheel, and her Renewal Birth Law sits right next to the Law of Integrity. She has invited us to join a four month study group dedicated to applying the conflict resolution work of Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg. An international peacemaker, mediator and healer, Rosenberg has written several books, inlcuding Speak Peace;