Peace Man...

In the seventies everyone was going around making the peace sign with their hands.  The catch phrase that accompanied that gesture was the well known, "peace man".  It was a way that the culture was connecting with one another and the only thing we really needed to say to each other was "peace".  A major force in this cultural norm was the Vietnam War and the cries across the nation for peace rather than violence, on our own soil, and abroad.  In that time we became aware that we had to extend our community and be interconnected as a society.  As a people connected to one another we sought peace and fought for the common good.

In this time we experienced the words of Mother Teresa, belonging to each other and seeking peace.  We connected on a global level and cried out for peace across the seas as well.  And what happened once the warring stopped and the world quieted?  We had peace, long enough to forget.  I wonder if we remember that we belong to one another when we do not have peace in our families, our work places, our community and our world.  When I consider the terrorism of our time I realize that we do not as a world society understand that we are one people and we are woven together.  I think of some of the posts I see on social media and the divisive nature of what is being put into the world and it is clear that on many levels we have forgotten that we belong to each other.  We have a commitment to care for one another as neighbors in our global society, but it seems that is all too easy to forget.

As a parent you think of your children as the little ones that belong to you, that belong in the care of your nest.  In families we think of how we protect one another or come to the aid of each other in times of need.  Do we think from that frame of reference for all the people we meet on the street, in line at the grocery store, as we pass by in the halls at work or get irritated with on the roadways?  I can honestly say that I do not always think from this framework and yet I wonder what would happen if we did.

So today's challenge is this:  treat everyone you encounter as if they belong in your fold.  If we interact with each other as if we belong to each other then we will have peace in our interactions and we will most certainly be changing our world.