HAVING AN 

IMPULSE FOR PEACE 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my reflection for this evening "Prayer Service for Peace" is, “Having An Impulse for Peace.”

My take on this evening is that we are here to take an hour to be peaceful – to be with each other and pray – to sing – to hope - for peace.

I’m assuming all peacemaking – like all politics – remembering what Tip O’Neill famously said: “All politics is local politics” – I want to say, “All peacemaking is local peacemaking.”  That means working to be peaceful with family, neighbors, and the folks one is with in local traffic and one’s own workplace. 

Better: I’ll go a step further and say, “All local peacemaking is inner self peace making.” As the song we’re going to sing at the end of our service tonight goes, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

I’m also assuming that the impulse for this evening is that the world – right  now - seems rather antsy and angry – with too much agita and aggression.

Antsy – angry – agitated – aggressive – all words beginning with A.

I’m sure we could also move to words beginning with the letter B: belligerence - bullying – battles - bombs – and we could move to C and D and all the way to Z.

I don’t know about you – but I’m nervous around zealots.

The Letter “P ”also has it’s words: peace, prayer, pause, presence.

We’re assuming that tonight we’re not the only ones in sacred places – being peaceful and praying for peace in our world – aware of each other.

Ferguson – Ukraine – Iraq – Syria – Lybia – Somalia -  déjà vu and déjà vu after déjà vu – over and over again.

It’s 2014. We're 100 years after the start of World War I – in which 10 million military people and 7 million civilians were killed – and the seeds for World War II were planted.

It’s 2014.  200 years ago – in December  - the day before Christmas - of that year - the War of 1812 ended – after 2 ½ years of fighting. And unfortunately  –  the Battle of New Orleans was fought in January of 1815 – because news of  the Treaty of Ghent had not reached  the British in the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana nor Andrew Jackson yet.

It’s 2014 – 150 years after the 4^th year of the United States Civil War.

That’s world news – that’s old news….

I’m sitting there watching the 10 o’clock evening news out of Philadelphia with my sister, my brother-in-law and their son Gerard. At 10 PM Gerard says, “What are watching this for?”

I’m sure he wanted a baseball game instead.

He went on, “Why are we watching this? The first three stories are going to be 3 murders in Philadelphia and Camden, then a fire, and then another murder or a robbery.”

Sure enough. That night it was 4 murders and 2 fires.

I never forgot that observation by my nephew Gerard.

It must be the easy way to do the evening news: because it seems that’s the same formula for the 10 o’clock evening news out of Baltimore each night as well.

I have never watched the 10 PM news in Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas or L.A. – yet I assume that’s the evening news there too.

What’s it like to watch the local evening news in Bogota or Barcelona, Mumbai or Moscow?

Do those who watch World News have the same “uh!” and “Oh no!” feelings all over the world?

Lately the lead stories on the 6:30 or 7 PM World News – seem to have more news  about non-peaceful moments – and so we gather here tonight.

THE COMMITTEE

The committee that met to pray and prepare for this meeting tonight  provided some talking points about peace – and gave them to me. Thank you. May every group and organization do the same.

THE TITLE OF MY THOUGHTS

The title of my thoughts for this evening is: “The Impulse for Peace.”

I noticed on the program that one of the action steps for after this meeting – after this get together – is that people make a One Minute Prayer for Peace Every Day at Noon.

That’s doable. I’ll try that.

That’s workable. I’ll practice that.

I know somewhere along the line – amongst other things – in the morning after I wake up – and get out of bed – I pull the blinds in my room – look out to see what kind of a day it is – and I do 74 – extended arm lifting exercises. 74 is my age. I started doing that when I was 33 or 34 – with 33 arm things – and each year on my birthday I add one more. It works. It has become second nature.

Somewhere along the line I also found myself standing there in the dark before getting into bed at night – stretching out my arms. I then say the Our Father out loud. Then I do 3 genuflections – one to the Father, one to the Son, and one to the Holy Spirit. I thank them for a good day. That’s been going on for some 40 years or so.

[Gesture showing muscles] If you too want muscles like I have, there's the secret.

Years and years ago an old man – on the Tennessee Border -  probably younger than I am now – told me that every morning – when he wakes up – he keeps his eyes closed – and wiggles his toes. If they wiggle, he told me, he says to God, “Thank You God for another day of life.”

So now tonight – September 4, 2014 – someone is going to suggest every day at noon from now on to say a One Minute Prayer for Peace. Who knows, maybe 50 years from now – all of you – well some of us – will still be doing that – starting tomorrow at noon?

Since the title of my thoughts for this evening is: “The Impulse for Peace”, may I suggest beginning this way: take your pulse. [Gesture] Catch your pulse – pulsing – pulsing – pulsing. Thank God you’re alive. That’s one of things they check when it looks like we’re leaving this life.

Then after saying, “Thank You God that I’m alive” or however you want to word it, ask the Lord for impulses for peace.

Each noon time monitor what your day has been like so far?  What have been your impulses: antsy – anger – agitation – aggression.

Or peace, prayer, pause, presence to the people we’re with?

THREE TYPES OF PEOPLE

I noticed in the “Talking Points About Peace” that the committee came up with  – there is mention of 3 Types of People.”

I always like People Typing Tests – because they get me to think. Which one am I? Jesus offered at least 7 people typing in his parables.[1]

This 3 Types of People When It Comes to Peace labels them this way: Peace-Breakers, Peace-Fakers, and Peace-Makers.

Right now put your thumb on your pulse and listen to your heart: which of these three impulses is more you?

The Peace-Breakers confront, cause agita, division, disagreements. They are manipulative, witch hunt, gossip, slander, are opinionated, and judgmental. They tear down – cause friction, and are mouthy. Thank God none of us here tonight are like that.  I love that old saying, “There are two types of people, ‘Those who cause happiness wherever they go and those who cause happiness whenever they go.”

The Peace-Fakers want harmony, peace at all costs, no violence, no hostility, but avoid allowing interpersonal or international relationships. They won’t or don’t want to deal with justice issues – the deeper issues – and so they come up with a counterfeit peace. I was trying to remember the peace diagram I heard in some talk – some years ago. For peace, everyone needs to be in on a piece of the action, get a piece of the pie, so as to have peace of mind. I think there were two more pieces to that – but I only  remember 2 pieces: the giving everyone a piece of the pie and everyone a piece of the action. In other words, if we don’t get everything out on the table – we’ll end up having a nice peaceful looking pond – but lurking in that water are lots of sharks and alligators.

The Peace Makers are the good gals and good guys. They are the peace makers that Jesus said they are blessed. The info the committee game me said that they respect, think before they speak, and don’t have the outcome all figured out before we begin to be with each other.   They also experience the cross – the great symbol here in this church. We all want it this way – and surprise someone right there across from us at the table – wants it another way.  Life is loaded with cross purposes. Sometimes peace makers are crucified. Look at Christ. Case in point.

So when we take our pulse each day – at noon – take also a pulse on what our predominating impulses are flowing through our blood that day – that moment. Then pause and pray.

Some days – let’s be honest – we’re peace breakers. Some days we are peace fakers. To be honest, some days I just don’t have the time right now – to sit down and talk with so and so – and some days – hopefully – most days – we can be blessed peace makers.

CONCLUSION

And in that one minute at noon each day – to smile – because we’re not in this alone. We’re with each other as we are tonight. Amen.

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[This was a talk I gave last night - at a Prayer Service for Peace -  September 4, 2014 at St. John Neumann Church, Annapolis, Maryland.]

NOTES

[1] Let me see how many I can find: 

• Fasting: Gloomy or Clean Faced Matthew 6:16-18;
• Narrow Gate or Wide Gate? Matthew 7:13-14
• House on Rock or House on Sand? Matthew 7:24-27;
• Good Tree - Bad Tree Matthew 12:33-37;
• Parable of Sower - 4 types? Matthew 13: 1-9
• Wheat or Weed? Matthew 13: 24-30-Matthew 13: 36-43;
• Workers in the Vineyard? Different Hours? Matthew 20: 1-16
• Two Sons - Yes or No? Matthew 21: 28-28-32;
• Faithful or Unfaithful Servant? Matthew 24: 45-51;
• Wise Virgin or Foolish Virgin? Matthew 25: 1-13; 
• Three Servants  Given Talents According to Ability - Matthew 25: 14-30;
• Sheep or Goat? Matthew 25: 31-46;
• Good Samaritan? Which of the 4 Characters am I? Luke 10:29-37;
• Martha or Mary? Luke 10: 38-42;
• Regular Sheep or Lost Sheep? Luke 15: 1-7;
• Prodigal Son, Older Brother or Father Luke 15: 11-32;
• Rich Man or Lazarus? Luke 16: 19-31;
• 10 Men Healed of Leprosy? Luke 17: 11-19;
• Pharisee or Tax Collector? Luke 18: 9-14;