Thursday, November 04, 2010

Daily Reminder #157: Dona Nobis Pacem

I've put my reiki "healing hands" behind my globe and will post them below
in their entirety in hopes that you may feel the love generated
by them and that they may add a little peace to your day.

Today is the 7th Blog Blast for Peace, the brain and love child of Mimi at Mimi Writes by which she has inspired bloggers across the world to share thoughts and hopes and images and prayers for peace in our world.


At about the same time that Mimi first announced the date for this year's event, I received a link to a very interesting website called the Center for Nonviolent Communication from a friend of mine. I set it aside to use for today's event because it aligned with something I have been thinking about for a while now.


I'm politically very progressive. There's a very cool website called The Political Compass that evaluates where you are on the political grid and I am sufficiently liberal that I fall south-east of Gandhi and the Dali Lama, so you can imagine that yesterday's political results have left me feeling a bit of despair. But I digress.... As part of my political junkiness over the past few months, I've spent a lot of time at Huffington Post reading not just their articles but the comments of readers. To say the least - the language in much of the posters is anything but courteous. Much like what passes for news media, these days, it consists largely of people "yelling" at each other in print.  But what bothers me as much as that is the nature of the headlines there... to the point that I wrote to HP about it. Their headlines there are awash in "so-and-so SLAMS X." Their favorite words include words like SMASH, BASH... even when the article reveals that no such violent emotion or word-play was actually involved in the exchange. Politicians have "hit lists" and "take each other down." Glenn Beck and Fox news foment fear and paranoia and the rest of the is media not far behind.only somewhat more subtle in their approach....


Jon Stewart put it nicely, I thought when he compared the media using it's magnifying glass to "light ants on fire" instead of illuminating issues - and then offering a week of reports on the sudden onset of burning ants. (He said it much better, but I'm too lazy to find the exact quote. You can listen to his speech here, if you missed it. It's worth a listen.


If you click on the photo you will get a larger version
Anyway.... I'm being long-winded here and wandering in the woods before finding the path, but my point, I guess, is that words have power. Profound power. What we say and how we say it not only impacts the people we speak to. It impacts us. The energy and vibration behind our words - especially when they are spoken out loud - vibrates in our own bodies even as it vibrates out to those to whom we speak them. We become the things we say, and if we become conscious of that, maybe we will become more conscious and careful about the things we think and speak. I have found myself muttering (and sometimes shouting) insults at my TV during my recent weeks of political obsession and frustration. It may offer a second of instant gratification, but in the end, I don't like the way it feels.


We tend (well I do) to think of Peace on some grand scale - calling an end to war and violence - and I'm not opposed to that. I'm very much for it. I don't understand why people want to kill each other over religion or land or oil or any of the host of other absurd reasons human being use to justify massacring one another. I don't understand why people want to carry guns or why they feel justified in executing other human beings to prove that killing is bad.  Because of that I sign petitions and write essays and letters. I think it's good to do those things.


But of late I have begun to think that maybe peace needs to start at home and radiate out, that the more of us who learn to be conscious of and to moderate our angry hate-filled thoughts and words, the more of us who learn to meet hate speech not with counter hate but with compassion, with a heart open to understanding the pain that germinates that hate, the better the world will be. It's harder to grow hate in minds and hearts that are fertilized with kindness and compassion. It's harder to grow hate in minds and hearts conditioned to look for our co-humanity with even those whose thoughts and actions we most despise. It's harder to go to deny food or health care to someone in whom you can see yourself than to "that poor person" or "that liberal" or "that conservative,"  "that immigrant," etc. And it's harder to go to war and point a gun at someone when you think of them as a fellow human and not as "the enemy."


I don't know the answer to fixing the world or to creating global peace. I don't even know the answer to creating peace in my own heart. But I think being very conscious of my un-peaceful thoughts and words may be a good place to start.


I post a gratitude list each day. I'll keep it short today, but I don't want to forget. 


Some things I'm grateful for today:

  • the Blog Blast for Peace
  • Peace seekers
  • electricity
  • heat and hot water
  • the internet
  • my home
  • my cats
  • the US mail
  • my camera
  • life
  • Peace wherever it lives
  • Peace in my heart when I can find it
  • everyone who reads this post and posts their own


40 comments:

Gemma Wiseman said...

A very beautiful, moving post!
Immediately I thought of the words:

"Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me."

From Australia ~ Namaste!

Unknown said...

I love the Peace image at the bottom. So beautiful!

Peace.

Akelamalu said...

Wonderful post today m'dear. I could feel the energy from your hands.

Peace to you and yours. x

Jessica said...

Wonderful post! :) Peace and love to you!

Brian's Home Blog said...

Beautiful! May peace follow you today and every day!

Dawn Drover said...

The power of words... beautiful post!

☮Peace☮

Nessa said...

I love the way you put your hands behind your peace globe. Wonderful idea.

If we all take a moment to take a breath at home before we speak, the whole world would be a better place.

Carolina Cats said...

Thank you for sharing yore byootiful thots on peace. We feel the love & heeling from yore hands.

Hugs & purrs,

Finny Buddy & Princess Jazzy

Anonymous said...

A beautiful post. What strikes me is that even though politically we have different opinions/beliefs/whatever, what we agree upon is how much we dislike the ugliness we see and hear around us expressed to others. It can be found in all groups. I think peace does begin with us. Peace to you!

Anndi said...

Oh Raven *smile* I do so love when you ramble, it's lovely in the woods where you do your thinking.

Your hands made me feel calm inside... inner Peace is where it starts.

☮& ♥

Sans Pantaloons said...

Thank you for your healing hands Katherine. They have also helped me find an inner peace this evening.
Peace & [[hugs]].

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

Stirring words Raven...so wonderful

Felisol said...

Dear Raven,
How I love your "burning heart."
The Bible says, God most of all despise the lukewarm, meaning the indifferent, the being oneself enough,to quote Ibsen.
Hands, thoughts and words of love and peace sure shall help changing the world.

Susan Demeter said...

Beautiful post! Peace :)

Diana Studer said...

What stays in my mind, is a radio interview years ago, with the homeless people who sell The Big Issue. When asked what 'they' want, really want?

Don't ignore me, look away from me, leave me feeling I don't exist. Greet me, acknowledge me.

Angel Ginger Jasper said...

Thanks for dropping by. I will check it out thanks.. Carol and GJ x

TravelingMermaid said...

Your peace globe is magnificent! Hands represent healing, friendship, compassion and so much more positivity - what a wonderful background to encompass your globe.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and, yes, we do have a very similar political view. :)

"the more of us who learn to be conscious of and to moderate our angry hate-filled thoughts and words, the more of us who learn to meet hate speech not with counter hate but with compassion, with a heart open to understanding the pain that germinates that hate, the better the world will be."

So much wisdom in this one thought.
Bravo!

Kate said...

Thanks for dropping by. I love your site. I’m going to poke around a little bit, but don’t worry I’ll put everything back where I found it!!

Thorne said...

Beautiful. Peace.

RA said...

Very insightful post. I really could feel the energy flow and felt warm in my heart. Dona Nobis Pacem. May peace be upon the world. Bless you.

CountryDew said...

A lovely and loving sentiment; I love your Reiki hands! Thank you for visiting my peace globe today. Many blessings to you and may peace be something to which we all aspire.

Annelisa said...

The power of words is something you, Mimi and I certainly agree with...if you use negative words and think in negative ways, it attracts negative things to you...(how often does someone who says something mean get something nice said back!). But, when you make the effort to break a lot of the childhood and social conditioning, and find something positive to say, you find that folks have only been waiting to let the postive side of them shine...

Peace to you, Raven x

Speedcat Hollydale said...

Hello, and peace from Hollydale!

After reading your blog it my be true that we agree on not to many things, but I do LOVE that on this day, people of ALL belief systems, nationalities, and backgrounds can come together for ONE issue ... that being a call for peace. I love that about peace globes and posts.

BIG HUG from Eric, "SpeedyCat" ;-)

Cat with a Garden said...

We're purring and purring for Peace.
Thank you for visiting!
Siena & Chilli

rose AKA Walk in the Woods - she/her said...

Wandering in the woods before finding the path is a great way to journey. Peaceful too. :)

Peace.

Cats~Goats~Quotes said...

Peace and Purrs to you throughout the year!
~ The Bunch

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Thank you for the healing hands Peace Globe - I took a moment, shut my eyes and let the energy flow over me. It was lovely.

I also took the Political Compass evaluation and came out aligned with Gandhi, Mandela and the Dalai Lama - LOL! (I'm only laughing because it's so totally me.)

I really enjoyed your thoughtful and very heartfelt post, Raven. Peace to you.

Whyite said...

Nice post. I didn't have time to post anything. Peace be to you.

Travis Cody said...

Your words resonate with me.

Peace.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Raven, So beautiful, so true......so profound....so simple...........the best thing I have read today! Truly. Thank you.

julie said...

Our hands are not only an extension of the self, these are a means to reach out to others and let them feel we love and care for them :)

Peace to you and yours :)

~*~Patty S said...

Wonderful Peace post full of healing energy Raven ... thank you! Lots to take in
Sending Peace * Love * Light to All!
oxo

Michelle said...

Raven

I think you just found the heart of peace.

That was a very lovely and wise post.

Oh and I just love the idea of the reiki hands with the peace globe. Brilliant! :-)

Peace blessings to you too.

Mimi Lenox said...

I read your post out loud so that I could hear and feel the resonance of truth and compassion in my body as I spoke your words. As you became more passionate, more vocal....I became more peaceful, more moved.

And then when I saw your hands sending out healing to the world, to me, I received that Reiki into my body and let it heal me. You have no idea how much I needed that right now at this very moment tonight.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for pouring your whole self into this post, into this movement and into our hearts. You do not ramble, Katherine, you are brilliant light upon a canvas of healing.

Peace my friend,
Mimi

Annelisa said...

Your peace post is now linked in my blog: Peace Bloggers Unite

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