Living It – Peace Begins With Me

Peace Begins With Me Event

July 15th was an historic day and a new beginning for peace-building around the world! 20,000 people of all faiths gathered at Madison Square Garden in New York City to celebrate God as our Heavenly Parent; the parent of all humankind. The theme that brought everyone together being, “Peace Begins With Me”.

If I am not at peace within myself and with God, then I’m going to struggle with all other relationships as well. It’s easy to see that we live in a world of conflict, and it’s equally easy to blame others. But God is compassionate and forgiving, asking us to look at ourselves in the mirror before casting the first stone. Self-reflection should result in humility, and open our hearts to compassion and greater understanding of others.

We Can See Things Differently

People of all races, ethnicities and nations were present in the “Garden” singing and dancing together. Isn’t that the ideal that God and humanity have been striving for? Only that we are one heart – in our love for God and one another.

We can have different tastes in clothes, different political or ideological views, and choose different paths in life; but personal choices and viewpoints are not conditions for withholding love. God’s love is unconditional and merciful. God knows our design is good, but we are still growing.

By uniting together as brothers and sisters beyond our differences, we are extending God’s unconditional love to each other. That was the simple meaning and motivation behind the “Peace Begins With Me” event. It encapsulates the essence of Jesus teaching, and other faith traditions, as well as the path that Father and Mother Moon forged throughout their lives.

We Are All Part of God’s Body

The words of Hezekiah Walker’s song, “I Need You to Survive” were deeply moving, and expressed Mother Moon’s heart in creating this event. When we sang this song together, to each other, it also felt as if God was singing it to each one of us.

“I need you, you need me

We’re all a part of God’s body

You are important to me

I need you to survive

Stand with me, agree with me

We’re all a part of God’s body

It is His will that every need be supplied

I pray for you, you pray for me

I need you to survive

I won’t harm you with words from my mouth

I love you, I need you to survive”

The Peace Challenge Every Day

Now, the challenge is to live it! How do we create peace? The event itself was not the end goal, it was meant to be a springboard to re-launch a movement. Will you join the peace challenge?

Lack of conflict is not necessarily peace. Sometimes a conflict or struggle stimulates growth. More important than the struggle itself is our attitude toward it. Are we committed to seeking the greater good? Are we committed to “Living for the Sake of Others”?True Mother begins peace

If I hurt you, I am hurting myself. If I love myself, I must love you equally. We might not be there yet, but we can take steps in this direction every day. By taking personal responsibility for creating peace in our own lives, we establish a pattern for future generations to follow.

Join the

“Peace Begins With Me 21 Day Challenge” 

Even if you didn’t make it to the event – you can do this. Invite your friends and family to participate as well, it’s easy! Even better, get your whole community on board.

Just sign up for the daily newsletter at the link above and follow the prompts. Here’s a hint of how easy it is:

Day 1 – Find 3 things to be grateful for.

Day 2 – Spend some time in prayer and meditation.

I’m looking forward to Day 3! But Just for the fun of it, here’s an idea of my own: Learn the songs we sang at the event. You can download the music and words here. (http://2000voice.org/songs/)

 

from KenCohen on Vimeo.

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