Tuesday 4 November 2014

Words in the Hands of Love : 2014 Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant us Peace)

“We have to add love to our words or none of it means a thing,” says Mimi Lenox, founder of the popular BlogBlast4Peace movement.  “We have to add love to our walk or we all stumble in darkness. Do you know how to create peace in your everyday world?”
For last year’s peace blogging, I wrote about how we need to look inwards for peace;  how peace cannot come from outside oneself.   

If we want to add love to our walk, we must find inner peace, and lasting inner peace can only come from a place of soul-deep integrity.

Living in soul integrity is when you can look at, or think of, those people who’ve hurt you deeply and, in those secret chambers of your heart, truly wish them well. 

Standing in your soul’s integrity isn’t an act of peace that pays lip-service to the current buzzword “forgiveness.”  This kind of peace is not a peace where your lips say you’re at peace, while your mind still stumbles in the darkness of remembered pain and hurt, holding onto vengeful fantasies of your enemies kneeling before you filled with a sorrow so painful it soothes your wounds, the very wounds they inflicted on you.
No, lasting forgiveness, lasting peace, is an attitude so much part of your everyday world you don’t even realise you’ve shifted from anger and negativity into the zone of inner peace.

There, where all is calm and still, when you think of those who hurt you, you feel neither an intense longing for their love and acceptance, nor a burning anger because they haven’t shown remorse for their hurtful actions. 

At that point of calm and inner stillness, you’ve reached the end of your journey to inner peace.  What, then, is left?
The journey towards peace in your everyday  world, of course. That journey has just begun and, once you’ve found your own inner peace, you then become a spiritual warrior: an ordinary person who does not merely hope to be a part of the world’s peace process, but one who actually has the courage to create peace in the situations that arise in your circle of family, friends and acquaintances.

One simple way to start transferring the peace within you out into your world is by remembering the power of words. Forget about teaching your kids that, while sticks and stones may break their bones, words can never harm them!
Words can be the mightiest, and cruellest, sword of all. Used without thought or compassion, the sword of the tongue can cut very deeply indeed. Careless, callous words have the power to tear down a person’s soul and crush their spirit. But words in the hands of love can lift people up; they can build strong, good spirits that go out into the world and create a loving, peaceful environment.

In today’s technological environment, your words can ripple across the waters of our globe, spreading love or hatred, war or peace. When next you use words –to gossip with your family about another family member not there to tell their side of the story, to order your food in a busy restaurant, or to dash off an angry email – remember it’s not only what you say, but how you say it, that reveals your soul’s integrity.

You can speak strong words, words reflecting the truth of your soul. Just speak them with an empathy and an understanding that those you address are fighting their own battles. Your words have the power to bring the light of peace to a moment in time. Or they can widen the abyss that separates us all from that which we most yearn for: peace in our hearts and peace in our everyday world.

The next time someone hurts you, can you make a difference by adding peace to the words you use? Try it ... And discover for yourself the power of words in the hands of love.

Dona Nobis Pacem  - Grant us Peace
Nkosi, yizwa imithandazo yethu
Nkosi, sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo
(isiZulu, from the South African national anthem, 
 “Lord, hear our prayers / Lord, bless us, your children.”)


8 comments:

Marja said...

Beautiful words of wisdom The power of words is strong so if we use it for the good we can build a path of peace

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Thank you, MARJA. Indeed, words are such a powerful weapon - it's up to us whether we use our words as weapons of destruction ... or weapons of peace. Depsite good intentions, the latter isn't always easy to do!! :)

A Cuban In London said...

Tahnks for your birthday wishes. I agree with your article entirely. Peace needs to come from within before it can be exported. I see a lot of people busying themsevles with the business of procuring peace for nations and people and my question is: have you tried to procure the same peace for yourself? Have youstopped and thought and analysed and reasoned out that peace starts from within?

Thanks.

Greetings from London.

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

CUBAN: Glad you found your birthday wishes and hope you had a terrific day! :)

And yes - sometimes it's easier for people to busy themselves with the business of making peace outside themselves when they haven't busied themselves with working on the principle of peace on the inside first.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Judy - I've had the post sitting waiting for me to have time to take in your words sufficiently for me to write a comment. Your words always ring true and are a reminder to us all that everything we do should be for peace, repair of our thoughts, get ourselves into a better place than look at others.

You've given us a post we will come back to often .. a post to reflect on ...a post to remember we need to check into ourselves ...

Your personal quote is exact ... changing people's lives for a moment is something worth doing ...

Thanks so much - Hilary

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Thanks Hilary - and thanks for reminding me what my writing philosophy is! :) Hope you're keeping well! sending best wishes from a damp and wet Johannesburg!

Mimi Lenox said...

As always, your words remain powerful. You are right at home in this movement and have inspired us once again. I love the way your words weave their way into our hearts and minds.
Peace to you and yours.
Mimi

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Thanks Mimi, as you're the founder of this inspiring movement for peace (so needed in this world!) your comment is much appreciated! See you at next year's blogblast for peace!
Kind regards
Judy