If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

~ Mother Teresa

Her name is Lerato which means “love” and man do I love her!

The Peacemakers (New and Old) I serve along side in my district

King Letsie III

I am a pacifist. Yes, I said it.  I am a pacifist. Let me rephrase, I am a peacemaker (or at least I am striving to be).  Peace is not passive, and often times pacifism is confused with and even enacted through passive-ism.  Peace is not achieved through being passive… but neither is peace ever achieved through force and/or conquest.  Peace is not merely the cessation of war, the break from fighting.  Peace does not exist when one side loses and one side wins. This is not peace-its not.

Peace is experienced when peoples are equal.  After a fight, unless both sides are knocked down, one side emerges as  victor, one side is stronger, one side is dominant… even when we give lip service to peace after a fight, the loser knows, the loser knows they are not equal, they are not free, for them it is not peace, it is loss.

In seminary when I came to the realization that I was indeed a pacifist, that perhaps Jesus was even a pacifist I didn’t know what to do with that.  I am the daughter of a military man, I am a patriot. At one point my life’s trajectory was directed towards military service myself.  How could I be a pacifist?! Cue the identity crisis.

Here’s how… The goals for what we all want is the same: peace, freedom, equality, honor.  My values did not change, I was raised with the core traits of the Air Force instilled in the fibers of my character: integrity first, service before self, excellence in all we do.  I am a product of ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps). I am the overly proud daughter of a veteran and patriot.  We are all fighting the same fight, I am just starting to realize I cannot and will not do so with the weapons of warfare. I want to find and believe that there is another way. (Please do not read this as if I don’t understand just war theory and the need for war as a diplomatic tool… I respect your right to support this, please respect mine to speak otherwise.) 

When I was faced with this identity crisis (which it was in some respects) I hesitated to name it, because of the respect and gratitude I have for the sacrifice men and women make daily in the armed services in the pursuit of freedom and peace.  How could I say anything if I was not actively working towards peace? How does one work towards peace?  What did Jesus mean when he said “blessed are the peace makers”? How could I be a peace maker?

I have very few answers to any of these questions.  Honestly, none of really can claim to… we are all just doing the best we can.  But I have come to believe that to make peace is to see people as people… just like you.  To value their lives, their livelihoods as you value those of yourself.  To look for ways in which we can work together, live side by side, find and affirm the humanity in one another.

I know that 50+ years ago when JFK founded the Peace Corps he was on to something.  Through friendship, through partnership, we are promoting peace around the world.  We are looking at people, finding what makes us the same, and sharing what makes us different.  What am I doing here? Mostly I’m just making friends… but in that I am actively working towards peace.  Peace will not happen swiftly.  When the fighting stops that’s when the work for peace will actually begin. As the aide workers walk in and bandage up those who were left in ruins, when they see someone who looks unlike them but reminds them of someone they know, well that’s where peace can take place.

The mission of the Peace Corps is one of peace and friendship and last week we celebrated 50 years of friendship with the Kingdom of Lesotho.  Through our friendship both Lesotho and the US have benefited, through our friendship both Lesotho and the US have come to know and appreciate themselves and each other.  Peace is often achieved through friendship…

Friends, regardless of where you stand on war, you have the opportunity to make peace today. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you need to join the Peace Corps or the military… go be a friend, go find the common humanity in someone who drives you crazy, go make amends with someone you unfriended on Facebook. Be a Peacemaker right where you are, because we all know that war isn’t the only place where we need peace.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

Blessings and Salang Hantle,

Bren