Peace-building

Some timely and practical clarity

I’d like to share with you a recording of a live call I hosted last week on peace-building. Audio and video versions are below, followed by a couple excerpts and then at the bottom by a very short and important note to my readers.

The basic premise we worked with is that all levels of peace and conflict, from the international to the relational to the internal, are interconnected. I think about 2 or 3 minutes of it are “political.” I don’t avoid that level. — that’s called spiritual bypassing. However, we must also be aware of (to coin a phrase) “political bypassing.” What I mean by that will become clear as you listen.

Here is the video. You might want to skip past the team introductions although they are sweet.

And here is audio:

Here are a few excerpts:

When you wage a war against the self by exiling the parts you condemn as bad, then inevitably, even without any mystical causality, conflict will erupt around you.

Peace is the capacity to hold the parts that we are uncomfortable with.

In this moment where there is a war going on it is more important than ever to practice. Even if you don’t directly talk to the leaders of warring countries, in those moments when you have a choice to be peace or to be war, to demonize or dehumanize someone, or to hold them in the fullness of humanity, you can choose the latter and generate a field of peace. And if enough of us do that at every opportunity we get, then it is going to change the climate so that there will be a negotiated settlement. And I believe that that will happen. The two sides are going to make peace. And you won’t be able to prove that it was because of the peaceful thing that you did. But some part of you will know that you are part of it. Because you are declaring what the world is. Because you are declaring what is possible when you have that difficult moment and you hold peace with someone when it is hard, when the old habit was to “let them have it” and go to war against them, but instead you hold peace.  It is not the same as capitulating. It is how you choose to see them. When you do that, you are declaring what is possible for human beings to do.  

Mystic Wings, by Greg Spalenka.

My friends, please do not be cynical. The time has come for our long-dormant naivete to bear fruit. Join me in my intention for today, to find the place within that is ready to be humbled by the enormity of implausible healing and peace-making to flower all over the world.