However, those citizens in my country, in America, who think they have been living in peace, and who want to preserve this ‘peace’ have no reckoning about what true peace is. America has been waging war since its inception. After all, it was conceived out of war, and celebrated each year with explosions and is sung about with each ‘friendly’ sporting event. Everyday my people wage war against the earth, against those in the next lane on the freeway, in the stock markets, in families, in schools, in the cities, against workers in other lands.
We are not alone in this competition; we are not some isolated aberration amongst civilizations. We are just the biggest. We were not born out of some vacuum. We are the fruit from the ancient tree of separation, of good and evil, of love and hate.
How much longer will we eat of this fruit? When will we eat of the Fruit of Unity that will bring the Peace that we all cry for?
This following story, “War and Peace,” from my book, “Silent Ripples: Parables for the Soul,” I wrote over a decade ago about such a theme. May we all find Peace in our selves and in our lives so that the world can truly be in Peace.
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One afternoon War was found dancing in the city streets. Around and around War spun, reveling in the power of its dance.
And in the wake of War’s dance the wind tore down the buildings, and tore the life from the people’s bodies.
On and on, like a most horrible whirlwind of destruction, War danced in the streets of the city. Until the survivors of the city pleaded for it to cease its dance.
And War asked: “Why?”
“Because you are evil, War,” they replied.
“Am I not created by you?” asked War.
“No, no, not by us. We are the innocent victims. It is those in power, with their selfish aims, their schemes, who have created you, War.
“We do not want you. We want Peace.”
And War laughed.
“Tell me where to find this Peace. Have you ever seen this Peace dance? Have you ever felt the power and the joy of the dance of Peace?”
“No,” they said, “we have not witnessed this dance of Peace you speak of. Yet we know that when you are gone from our sight, surely then that is Peace.”
And War laughed again.
“Like a bubble in a sealed jar of water I am. You wish me to go, and go I shall. Only to find yet another city to dance in.
“If truly you desired me gone forever, then simply break the jar. All you have to do is to summon Peace to dance, and that dance has the power to smash the jar.
“But you do not want me gone. You just want me to move on.
“You want not Peace; but a darkness to hide in. You want to be held unaccountable for all your thoughts of hatred, guilt and fear you thought to throw onto others.”
“You lie, War! We do not want you. We hate you,” the people cried. “Now be gone.”
“Yes, I will go, like a fire blown by a hot wind. Yet I shall return. For though I am the flame, it is all of you who carry the flint within your hearts. With your thoughts the straw.
“So farewell. Till next time. When I again come as your witness.”
And thus did War depart.
And all the people rejoiced. Bells sounded, and the young and the old danced in the streets. The whole day everyone looked upon their neighbor with the eyes of the heart.
And tears of grief were replaced by tears of joy.
Soon Peace heard and felt this joyous celebration, and made ready to journey to this city, to dance with these wondrous people.
Yet the day ended.
As the darkness fell, so too did the remembrance of the joy and love of the day. And the people lay in their beds that night, recounting wrongs done by them or to them, dreaming of fulfilling tomorrow’s desires, and shaking in fright from tomorrow’s fears.
And Peace sighed. And turned away.
rned away.
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