Let There Be Peace on Earth And Let It Begin with Me.” – Jill Jackson & Sy Miller
The oldest stereotype concerning beauty pageants may be the number of times that contestants have answered “World peace” when asked what they most hope for in life. The sentiment, however sincere or feigned it may be for each contestant, seems to always impress the judges. And, now that the bathing suit competition has been eliminated from all future pageants, the “World peace” interview response may be the only thing that impresses the judges. World peace may, in fact, be the most noble prayer known to humankind. But what kind of peaceful civilization can we expect to find in a world where there is less peace, and less civility shown to others, than at any time in recent memory?
Perhaps the most obvious example that we see in our country today is the complete lack of civility shown to our fellow countrymen whose political views differ from our own. The vitriolic name-calling, and dismissive intolerance, demonstrated in political “discourse” is disgusting at best, and societally destructive at worst. Forget how our country’s forefathers would react to this kind of “uncivil war” that exists today. I am just grateful that my own father isn’t alive to witness what has happened to America, and it’s people – the two most honorable purposes for which he fought in World War Two.
Perhaps the saddest realization is that the very people spewing endless hateful epithets at others feel completely justified in doing so. They sanctimoniously identify “lesser” humans to verbally attack – a political figure, a corporation, a religious group – and can only feel superior to such others by dehumanizing and debasing them. It’s what the Nazis did in the 1930s and ’40s. It was the only way that Adolf Hitler could possibly rally so many fellow Germans to do what they did during those years. He had to convince his countrymen that certain ethnic and religious groups, and other nations, were to blame for all of Germany’s woes. For the most part, Hitler succeeded in the effectiveness of his propaganda – and the world was never the same again.
What I find most ironic, today, is how similar the propaganda machine works within our current political arena. Whether the hateful messaging is coming from a Hitler-like leader (fill in your favorite hate-spewing politician’s name here), to a Goebbels-like minister of propaganda (fill in your favorite hate-spewing media outlet here), the end result is the same: certain citizens will buy into the hate-messaging, drink the Kool-Aid, then hit the streets. What the Nazis of the ’30s and ’40s never understood was that they were the ones reeking havoc on the world – not the Jews, not the homosexuals, not America, nor the other European countries. One hateful man, successfully spreading his hateful ideas to others, is what destroyed world peace almost 80 years ago.
Likewise, in America today, it is the hate-spewing politicians, and their Kool-Aid drinking followers, who are disrupting both peace around the world and within our own communities. I have no doubt whatsoever that the vast majority of people around the world share a common maxim – Live and Let Live. Therefore, I do not believe that the masses bare responsibility for the political and social unrest we see plastered on the front pages of our daily newspapers. Most people wish to live in a peaceful world. Does anyone seriously doubt that, if given the freedom to verbally state their preferences, that the North Korean people would resoundingly push for the denuclearization of their country so as to live in a peaceful and safe country? Only one individual, Kim Jong-un, holds the power to make that dream a reality for the North Korean people, and only he can, likewise, determine if his actions result in their complete obliteration. He is the problem, not his people.
Sri Swami Satchidananda once said, “The ultimate quest of the entire world is peace. Only in peace do we have joy.” He equates peace to light in the world. Without peace, the world is a very dark place. And in these dark times, when so many are spewing hatred towards each other, it is important to remember that many more seek the light of peace and joy:
If an unlit candle walks around, saying, ‘I want to give you some light,’ nobody will be seeing that light. But if a lit candle walks around, it need not even say anything; it just gives us light. So let us set examples by walking as lit candles, people filled with peace and joy, and thus fill the whole earth with beautiful people.”
Ask yourself, “Do I fill my head with peaceful and loving thoughts, or have I allowed my peace to be hijacked by others who wish me to adopt their political ideologies and hateful views?” “What am I going to do today to protect and defend my inner peace – at all costs?” “Am I an unlit candle, of no use in these dark times of political unrest, or am I that hopeful light that appears in the darkness, that knows inner peace and joy, and brings it to my fellow brothers and sisters?”
Please, light your candle – by focusing on the peace that exists within you – and then go and share that light with the rest of the world.
