Will there ever be a chance for world peace?
Asking if there will ever be a chance for world peace is like asking the water in a river if it will ever have a chance to reach the ocean. The odds are quite good that eventually, the water in the river will reach the ocean. The real question is in the timing. So I will attempt to answer the question by asking another equally important question and then answering it.
When will there be world peace? There are several cliches that are important and noteworthy but I would like to share them up front and then dive into the more tangled and mucky mess that is the heart of the problem.
There will be world peace when all men beat there swords into plow shares. There will be world peace when all men see each other as brothers. There will be world peace when there is no more poverty. There will be world peace when there is no more hate. There will be world peace when every man woman and child strives to live a life of service. There will be world peace when there is no more greed or selfishness.
There will be world peace when there is no more crime. There will be world peace when all men see the best in each other and not the worst. There are in fact almost infinite ways to accomplish world peace but the most important thing to remember about world peace is that we can't look at it as a destination because it is harder to locate and to pin down than a dragonfly in a swamp.
We have to think of world peace as a journey. It is a pilgrimage of sacrifice that if we would each prepare appropriately for the journey, we would be there in no time. Let us imagine that we are each pilgrims from a far off land and that we are preparing to return to that land. The journey will be on foot and there are thousands of miles to cover. What kind of equipment and gear would we buy for the journey? Would we make a plan for getting food shelter and water along the way?
The answers to these questions would vary broadly and some of us might even just pick a direction and start walking with almost no plan at all. The journey to world peace is somewhat like this. It is possible eventually if we just keep trying to walk toward it but our chances of success are greatly improved if we know what to pack for the journey.
So at this point I will offer you the items I would pack for the journey to world peace and challenge each of you to consider what you would bring. The first thing in preparing for any long arduous trek is making sure that we ourselves are ready. Our bodies must be trim and fit. We must be ready, willing and able to walk 15 miles a day in 105 degree heat. We must have a clear mind and a healthy body.
The journey to world peace requires a similar standard. We must keep ourselves free of addictions and vices that will distort our perceptions of the world and prevent us from seeing the potential in others. We must live a life of balance and avoid excess. We must work hard, throwing ourselves entirely into each endeavor. As we do this we will develop the toned muscles and quick thinking mind that is required for our journey.
Our journey will be long and we will eventually have to rely on others for food, shelter and water - so let us prepare now. We must start by thinking of others first and living a life of service. We must become people people. As we do this, our hearts will be transformed to the point that those who speak to us will feel our kind and generous spirits and will be compelled to offer us their support. As we become a person who is valuable to humanity, people will sense that and endeavor to help us whenever possible.
In this journey toward world peace we must also pack many gifts for those we meet along the way. This journey will be long and tedious so what is it that we can bring that we can carry with us and not have to discard for more essential items? These items must be very light and take up little space. You are right, a gift card to Home Depot or Walmart should do the trick.
Well, on further thought perhaps not. Not everywhere we go will have a Walmart or a Home Depot. As a matter of fact not everywhere we go will have people who can read or write. Not everywhere we go will have people who have food to eat or shoes on their feet. Of the many people we meet many of them may not even have homes.
Of what use to them is a card for a home improvement warehouse? Not all of the people we meet will have electricity, so what good is a microwave or blender from Walmart?
So what can we bring as gifts to those we meet on our journey to world peace? We can bring ideas. If we run into people who are enslaved by poverty or addiction and offer them the gift of freedom. If we run into people who can't read or write, we can offer them the gift of literacy. If we run into people who have no voice in their government, we can offer them the gift of democracy.
If we run into people who have no job skills, we can offer them the gift of education. If each of us were to prepare for our journey through life by seeking to obtain as many of these gifts as possible and sharing them with everyone we meet, we would find ourselves at the crest of a wave of peace that would soon engulf the globe. Today is the time and our lives are the chance we have to bring world peace. I challenge each of you to begin the journey today.