What the world needs now is . . . Peace

As we come to Christmas, let’s reflect on the last of Opportunity International's greeting cards themes, Peace.

What do you think of when you are asked about peace? Is it a hopeful thought about a specific geographic region of the world and a prayer for a stop to the bloodshed, collateral injury and death; an absence of war? Or is it someone sitting cross legged in meditation?

The English dictionary defines peace as: freedom from disturbance; tranquillity. The Hebrew word for peace is ‘shalom’, and according to Strong's Concordance, shalom means completeness, soundness, and welfare. It comes from the root word shalam (shaw-lame') which means ‘to make amends’ or ‘to make whole or complete’.

There’s a bit of a running joke at our place when the kids ask me what I want for major events, such as my birthday or Christmas – it’s framed like this; “We know you really want world peace, but you know Amazon doesn’t deliver that and it’s really hard to wrap, so what’s your second choice….?”

Worldwide peace, or at least a tranquil world, does seem a bit of a pipe dream – an unattainable concept that never seems to happen. You just have to look at the world and it seems that as one region signs a peace accord, war breaks out in another region or there’s a natural disaster which upturns society instantly. Or at the other extreme, when you are in a household with small kids and following a plea from an overtired parent for ‘peace and quiet’, there IS peace and quiet, but after a few moments of serenity comes a growing anxiety about what the kids might be up to (most times it’s not good!).

Whether it's peace of mind or peace on earth you're after, it all begins with making an effort to be more calm and present. It begins with you and how you see yourself and your place in the world. The ancient Chinese philosopher, Laozi, explained it as:

If there is to be peace in the world,

There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,

There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,

There must be peace between neighbours.

If there is to be peace between neighbours,

There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,

There must be peace in the heart.

To obtain the peaceful world we all want, starts with each one of us and the peace we hold in our heart, and how we relate to those immediately around us, and so on.

In 1955 a hymn-like song was written, “Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me”. It’s become pretty popular in schools and churches, bringing a message of hope but also a message that each of us has a part to play in bringing peace. A woman by the name of Jill Jackson Miller wrote the lyrics. In Jill’s words: 

“When I attempted suicide (in 1944) and didn’t succeed, I knew for the first time, unconditional love; what God is. You are totally loved, totally accepted, just the way you are. In that moment, I was not allowed to die, and something happened to me, which is very difficult to explain. I had an eternal moment of truth, of which I knew I was loved, and I knew I was here for a purpose.”

The song’s lyrics are:

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me;

Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.

With God as our Father, brothers all are we.

Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now.

With ev'ry step I take, let this be my solemn vow:

To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

So, it’s up to each one of us to be peaceful, calm, tranquil – not just in the times we set aside to actively do this, but in our interactions with everyone we meet, every day. I’ll be the first to put up my hand and say that doesn’t always happen. Driving home in traffic seems to be a particular time of the day I’ll admit I’m far from tranquil and what I’m projecting on my fellow drivers is far from peaceful thoughts. I know I’ve got to work on it and, as Mother Teresa pointed out, “A smile is the beginning of peace”. So I start with smiling when someone cuts me off or drives in the outside lane well below the speed limit!

It’s not just good enough to say things need to be peaceful – it needs to come from within – it needs to emanate from your heart. St Francis of Assisi (yes, the guy who looked after the animals) wrote, “While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart”.

Once you are peaceful yourself, how does it spread – how can we create a peaceful world? Hafsat Abiola, the Nigerian human rights, civil rights and democracy activist, is the amazing daughter of Nigeria's President M.K.O. Abiola, who won a historic vote in 1993 that promised to end years of military dictatorship. Shortly after the election, which he overwhelmingly won, there was a military coup and Abiola was imprisoned, his victory annulled and he later died in prison in mysterious circumstances, the night before he was due to be released. Hafsat’s mother, who had taken over the Democratic movement, was assassinated in a Lagos street three years after the election in response to her push for democracy. 

As a daughter of two people who had their lives taken from them in the fight for democracy, it would have been very easy for Hafsat to turn her back on politics; turn her back on democracy; and turn her back on the people of Nigeria. Yet Hafsat entered politics vowing to transform a corrupt culture of governance into a democracy capable of serving Nigeria's most marginalized population: women. She ended up serving as a member of the Ogun State cabinet where she pioneered the use of mobile phones to deliver cash grants to poor pregnant women to ensure their access to health centres for antenatal to post-natal care, and worked on programmes to ensure economic inclusiveness addressed high youth unemployment. She could have been an Opportunity International Program lead!

Through her non-profit, the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), she has worked to promote a groundswell of women leaders and build pathways to public service for them. Motivated by women’s strength, Hafsat believes that the challenges facing the continent of Africa offer opportunities for women’s leadership to emerge. She is currently the President of Women In Africa. One of Hafsat’s many quotes is: “Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are.”  And she should know. She should have one of the best insights into what peace isn’t and how she wanted to turn the world around… to create a peaceful world that supports everyone. YOU can support those in need at this time through Opportunity International's Christmas appeal (https://opportunity.org.au/christmas2020)

So, yes, I’d love to have world peace for Christmas, but I guess I’d settle for a Gillian Adams voucher instead and hopefully that will make me feel peaceful!

May you find joy, hope, strength and peace this Christmas.