Making Peace

Writing about peace was a conflict in itself for me. See, writers are not exactly known for our serene connections to the world. Many of us relate to peace like a nutty professor stalks a cure. And when you factor in the scarcity of peace from which to draw inspiration, the result is a frustrated and highly caffeinated soul. I’m forced to make it up as I go. 

Oh sure, I find peace in small doses, like in the laughter of children or a sunrise on the meadow, but never the long lasting, cross boundary peace I’ve read so much about in dictionaries. No harmony among all peoples. No freedom from violence and strife. Instead, I read about war and apartheid and Third World conditions. Threats of nuclear annihalation. Pirates roaming our international waters. 

The atmosphere in America is somewhat muted (though everyone I know is packing heat these days). I can see another element at work, a human element that aggravates our situation. Enforced civility and political correctness. Conversations edited for content and time. Plenty of tension below the surface, yet the expectation is to hold all that tension inside. It’s like we believe peace is achieved only through peaceful methods, as if the goal is to avoid conflict of any kind. 

In fact, we want peace so badly, we settle for immediate peace-like substitutes. We lose sight of larger, cross-personal goals by pursuing our own peace of mind. It’s a bunch of ego-fluffing nonsense and it gets us nowhere. Conflict can produce amazing results if channeled properly and people are open to it. But that means we must ask those uncomfortable questions. We must challenge harmful beliefs. We must be willing to offend others. 

Most important, we must find the courage to endure our own difficult thoughts and feelings. When I hear people discussing peace, they point outside themselves to explain how the world should be different. Lots of great ideas, but their solutions usually favor themselves. It’s much different to say that our problems begin in each one of us, individually, because of our perspective on things, our expectations, our personal needs. The more we recognize that fact, the more we break free from our selves and realize our true potential. 

I believe this phenomenon spreads when it finds purchase in enough individuals. Think of how a work atmosphere would improve if people felt safe to give and receive criticism about their job or coworkers. And if they’re being really honest with themselves, think of how many people might find their “perfect job” sooner. 

Consider the power of the American electorate if we could admit how vulnerable we are to political spin and white-washed explanations. Not because we’re stupid, but because we’re human. We can’t know everything all the time. If we would embrace that weakness, I believe we would put more effort into finding out for ourselves and less faith in politicians. Our voting percentages would skyrocket. 

Can we broaden this topic internationally? Imagine how different the conflict between Israel and Palestine would be if the rest of us demanded they find terms other than religious ones to negotiate on… since those will never coincide. Does that sound shortsighted of me? Only because we deem it acceptable to threaten global security over possession of religious property. Imagine how every religious conflict might vanish if we would remind religious people that no man speaks for God. 

There are numerous other conflicts out there to illustrate my point, and they all boil down to people struggling to manage their inner realities. The best way to achieve a long-lasting peace would be to teach every one of us to make peace from within. I dare say it’s the only way.

Submitted for “Writers for Peace” 

Antioch University Midwest, 2011