Choosing Peace

by Rev. Nelle Moffett

Are you concerned about the recent events in the news and all of the violence that you see happening in the world and in our own cities? There is something that each of us can do about all of this. We have been using a practice which is based on an awareness that our own thoughts become amplified and manifested in the physical world. Collectively, our thoughts combine to express in the world either as fear and violence or as love and peace.

So you might want to ask yourself, what thoughts am I amplifying in the world? What energy do I support through my daily, minute by minute thoughts? Do I blame others for things that happen to me? Do I judge, criticize, or compare myself with the people who are closest to me? Would I rather be right than empathize with other’s perspectives? All too often, our answer to these questions is, “Yes.”

We all do these things mostly without even noticing. Our inner dialogue with ourselves will try to convince us that all of our judgments are justified. The other person deserves our judgment because of what they did. We become armchair referees judging, judging, judging. What we may not realize is that when we judge, we participate in and condone violence in the world. But more than this, we generate fear in ourselves. We become fearful of the judgments of others, which we outwardly believe are not justified, but secretly fear are true. This fear generates a pattern where we get defensive and attack back. Can you see how this same pattern is played out in the small and large dramas in the world?

So what can each of us do to change this pattern? Here is a simple practice based on the concept of tithing: contribute to supporting what you want more of in the world. Each judgment is a contribution towards violence whereas each expression of gratitude is a contribution towards peace. So, to amplify peace in the world, offer forgiveness to those who have hurt you; offer gratitude to the people who have made your life better. Offer prayers for those who are suffering. Offer thoughts of compassion for those who are afraid and are stuck in the pattern of defensiveness and attack. Offer financial support for the organizations and people who inspire you by the work they do to create peace and solve the problems of the world. Choose peace in your interactions with the people in your life. Choose to be aware of the energy that you take in through what you read and listen to: is it amplifying fear and violence or amplifying peace?

His Holiness The Dalai Lama writes, “Peace must first be developed within an individual. And I believe that love, compassion, and altruism are the fundamental basis for peace. Once these qualities are developed within an individual, he or she is then able to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony. This atmosphere can be expanded and extended from the individual to his family, from the family to the community and eventually to the whole world.”

When we make a commitment to amplifying the good in the world through our thoughts and actions, we add to the collective energy of peace in the world. Our positive thoughts and actions join with a huge movement of contagious energy that is not reflected in the news media. This invisible energy is more powerful than fear and hate and violence. This invisible energy manifests as peace in the world. May each of us consciously amplify this collective energy through the loving choices that we make every day.

We are so grateful for all of you who are committed to your path of contributing to world peace.