A child was
told to place together the pieces of a jumbo Jig-saw puzzle of the world map.
However, much he tried he could not succeed then, someone gave the child a
clue. He said: “Look at the reverse of the pieces of the world jig-saw map. You
will find as well the pieces of the drawing of a full-size man. Try first to
put together the pieces of the man’s jig-saw.” The child did as he was told,
and now with ease he could complete jig-saw of the man. The picture of an
attractive & smiling man appeared. And true enough at the back of the man’s
picture one could see the picture of the world’s map in perfect order.
The story tells us if a man is at peace with himself & his neighbour there
would be Peace & Harmony all over the world.
Universal Peace & Harmony is the goal.
World is divided because of so many problems, selfish interests & factions.
Can we not give a chance to this world to be put together in Peace &
Harmony?
Sadly there seems to be violence everywhere ...
violent crime, human rights abuses and numerous conflicts - strangely many
conflicts occur in the name of justice or religion. In contrast to the
manipulating views broadcast by politicians from time to time, looking back at
the lessons of history, the message is clear:
Violence and war do not buy peace; they buy violence and war; they buy
death and destruction.
One wonders how many
wars would have been averted if the leaders had been compelled to take their
place amongst the troops at the front lines ...
Peace is not just the absence of war, but fruit of
justice. If we truly seek justice in our personal lives and work for justice in
our social institutions, we come to experience peace. The Bible offers us some
crucial insights into the nature of true peace. Shalom, peace is essentially a
state of well being, inner harmony and harmony with other living beings. The
path to peace includes the elimination of all forms of violence - whether
physical, verbal, or emotional. Anything forced upon another living creature
constitutes abuse.
To achieve the goal, we need to oppose all forms of violence
This is really "live and let live" in practice.
Harmony can take some work! This is probably one of the areas most of us need
the greatest effort.
One of the main causes of conflict on this planet is
the inability to apply the concept of peace & harmony - especially when
confronted with strongly held views, such as religious belief or political
affiliation.
To live in harmony, we need to accept that there are
other points of view - and be content with that. In return, we get to retain
our opinions. It is only by the airing of different points of view that we are
able to get a hand on what is real. It is always worthwhile to test our
position against that of others.
Another essential aspect to the attainment of
harmony is forgiveness. It is sometimes difficult to let go of an affront. If
you think about it, why hang onto something so negative that it diminishes you?
One good thing is that the more one practices
getting along with everyone despite differences, the easier it becomes. It
often helps to try seeing things from the point of view of the other person.
The route to winning the war on terror is amazingly simple, overwhelmingly
effective, and astoundingly expansive—reaching far beyond just the war on
terror—in its results. If the point mentioned below is carried out consistently
and with passion, it will propel us to a decisive victory in the war on terror
faster than anything else we can possibly do.
Build a Vision for the Future through Fasting, Prayer and Meditation
Throughout the ages, when nations have been
threatened by enemies from outside or when they have faced severe crises from
within, fasting and prayer has been a response that has unified the people,
created a common vision of victory, and started unleashing peace—first in the
spirit of the practitioner, ultimately spreading to their home, their community
and to the nation as a whole. We can think of each individual who joins a
common time of prayer and fasting as another of the millions of seeds of peace
that are being planted throughout the nation and the world.
Everything around you—the chair in which you sit,
the building you are in, the means of transportation that you use today—all of
these at one point were nothing more than a vision in someone’s mind. But
people who diligently cultivated their vision and reached into the inner
sanctums of their being to create reality from their vision are the ones who
changed the world. That is what we need today. We need people—anyone and
everyone—who will see the vision of peace for our day and then reach into their
inner being and create this reality from their vision. These are the ones that
Jesus described as peacemakers.
It helps now & then to step back & take the
long view
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
Of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work
Nothing we do is complete ,which is another way of saying
That the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No programme accomplishes church’s mission.
No set of goals & objectives includes everything.
That is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, & there is a sense of
liberation in realising that.
This enables us to do something,& to do it very well.
It may be incomplete but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter & do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between
The master builder & the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers not messiahs.
We are profits of a future not our own. Amen.
-Archbishop Oscar Romero
The vision for Caritas Confederation is the same
which Archbishop Oscar Romero speaks so beautifully. It is a vision of Catholic
Social teaching. A vision of a world which reflects the reign of God, &
where justice, peace, truth, freedom & solidarity prevail. A world where
the dignity of the human person, made in the image of God is paramount. A world
that doesn’t know what exclusion, discrimination, violence, intolerance or
dehumanising poverty are, but rather a place where the goods of the earth are
shared by all & creation is cherished for future generations.
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a
means by which we arrive at that goal
-Martin Luther King Jr.
There is unbelievable power in the vision of an
individual; but the power of a vision increases exponentially when it is held
in common with others. Scripture says, “Where there is no vision people
perish.” One of the greatest standards we can raise to halt the continuing loss
of life—whether it is through terrorism or an inappropriate response to it—is a
vision of peace. Through our vision, we can keep people from perishing. A
democratic uprising is usually enough to jar the leadership back to their
senses.
This is one of those times. If we don’t do it now,
we may never have another opportunity. Caritas India appeals to all of you to
join in an effort to spread Peace & Harmony.
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