"If we simply live in the spirit of peace, we contribute to the peace of the entire world. This is an ancient spiritual truth. If we want to participate in this transformation, we have to begin right now, this very moment, to root out the violence within us, to forgive those who have hurt us, to let go of bitterness and resentment, to reconcile with one another, and open a way for the spirit of God to move freely among us. We need to take a deep breath, turn our hearts in prayer, and receive God's gift of peace that we can then share with all of humanity and creation itself...Peace begins within each of us. It is a process of repeatedly showing mercy to ourselves, forgiving ourselves, befriending ourselves, accepting ourselves, and loving ourselves. As we learn to appreciate ourselves and accept God's gift of peace, we begin to radiate peace and love to others."
John Dear, Living Peace
As the song says, "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." Where does it begin with you today? Do you need to forgive yourself? Befriend yourself? Accept yourself? Appreciate yourself? How you see yourself is what the world gets. Is it getting peace?
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