Irina Zherebkina, a Ukrainian philosopher and author, spent the first year of the war in Ukraine under bombardment in Kharkiv. She reluctantly fled her homeland in March but still believes that peace must be imagined into being. She believes that the world powers should not send weapons to Ukraine but should, instead, send peace delegations to Moscow.
Peace is the theme for the second week of Advent. Today there are wars raging in over 100 regions, including Ukraine, Palestine and North Africa. How can we possibly talk about peace when there is so much fear and hatred in the world?
The Dalai Lama said, “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
What does peace look like? We encourage peace in our inner life and we work for peace in our family and community. But what will that achievement of peace look like? What is the result of your dream for peace?
John Lennon understood this in the ‘70s when he wrote “Imagine“. We must be able to see a world of joy in order to move through peace and create the world we desire.
Mother Theresa said, “Peace begins with a smile.”
You can find peace within yourself even if it is only five minutes. Set aside the depression of focusing on the past. Forego the anxiety of focusing on the future. Although you are a powerful person, you have zero control over the past or the future. Instead, live peacefully for just this moment. Live life in the present and be at peace. Imagine what peace might look like for yourself, for your friends and family, for your community. Beginning with yourself you can imagine peace.
