Tag Archives: peace
The Commandment for Peace
The Sermon on the Mount The Commandment for Peace Thursday, July 22, 2021 Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene My good friend, the life-long peacemaker John Dear, has recently founded The Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus. Today he expounds on Jesus’ surprising commandment to “love your enemies,” calling it “the climax of the Sermon… Continue Reading The Commandment for Peace
Coming to Terms with Life and Love
Choosing Love in a Time of Evil Coming to Terms with Life and Love Tuesday, May 18, 2021 I have been deeply moved by the wisdom of Etty Hillesum (1914–1943) for quite some time, and found myself returning to her journals many times over this past year. She died at Auschwitz at the age of 29, but her… Continue Reading Coming to Terms with Life and Love
Our All-Vulnerable God
Trauma and Healing Our All-Vulnerable God Tuesday, May 4, 2021 Very few of us can actually imagine God suffering. I bet almost half the prayers of the Catholic Church begin with “Almighty God” and when you’re “all mighty,” you don’t suffer! And yet if we believe that Jesus reveals the hidden heart of God, we… Continue Reading Our All-Vulnerable God
Contemplation and Action Summary: Weekly Summary
Contemplation and Action Summary Saturday, January 2, 2021 Summary: Sunday, December 27, 2020—Friday, January 1, 2021 When we experience the reality of our oneness with God, others, and creation, actions of justice and healing naturally follow. If we’re working to create a more whole world, contemplation will give our actions nonviolent, loving power for the… Continue Reading Contemplation and Action Summary: Weekly Summary
A Healing Process
Restorative Justice A Healing Process Thursday, September 10, 2020 When human beings admit to one another “the exact nature of our wrongs,” as the Twelve Steps recommend, we invariably have a human and humanizing encounter that deeply enriches both sides. It is no longer an exercise to achieve moral purity, or regain God’s love, but in fact… Continue Reading A Healing Process
Being Peaceful Change: Weekly Summary
Being Peaceful Change Saturday, August 1, 2020 Summary: Sunday, July 26—Friday, July 31, 2020 Gandhi’s spirit of non-violence sprang from an inner realization of spiritual unity in himself. —Thomas Merton (Sunday) Authentic spirituality is always first about you—about allowing your own heart and mind to be changed. (Monday) Nonviolence is the greatest and most active… Continue Reading Being Peaceful Change: Weekly Summary
Love at the Center
Being Peaceful Change Love at the Center Friday, July 31, 2020 Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognized as children of God. —Matthew 5:9 Today many think we can achieve peace through violence. The myth that violence solves problems is part of the way we think and is in direct opposition to all great religious teachings. Our need for immediate… Continue Reading Love at the Center
Holistic Peace
Being Peaceful Change Holistic Peace Thursday, July 30, 2020 Peaceful change starts within us and grows incrementally from where we are. Our social and physical location will influence the problems we see and the solutions we can imagine. We must “think globally and act locally” as did Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Wangari Maathai (1940–2011).… Continue Reading Holistic Peace
Look with the Eyes of Compassion
Being Peaceful Change Look with the Eyes of Compassion Wednesday, July 29, 2020 The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (born 1926) is one of the world’s most influential spiritual teachers. During the Vietnam War, his work for peace brought him into friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Merton, and other Christians who shared… Continue Reading Look with the Eyes of Compassion
Nonviolence: A Spiritual Superpower
Being Peaceful Change Nonviolence: A Spiritual Superpower Tuesday, July 28, 2020 Be the change you wish to see in the world. —Gandhi My good friend, John Dear, is a devoted student of Mohandas Gandhi and has dedicated his life to the promotion of nonviolence through his activism and writing. John writes: In his search for… Continue Reading Nonviolence: A Spiritual Superpower