The Missing Peace

‘The Missing Peace’ by Hiibiiscus

The Mission Of Peace

18 January – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: A true and stable peace presupposes respect for human rights. And human rights imply corresponding duties. – Benedict XVI. Personally, I’m not so keen on human rights; I would rather advocate for family and not simply rights, not even family rights. The New Testament calls for community; the family is the smallest community. Human rights is what is plaguing the United States and Europe right now – too much human rights and too little community. The image reminds us that at the heart of everything is the heart. Hiibiiscus has a note underneath the photograph: ‘This is an alabaster sculpture my mother made for me last year of two hearts.’ The maximum of human rights is 1; the minimum of heart is 2. 1 heart is self-love, the essence of human rights; 2 hearts as 1 is true love. ‘East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet’ was not spoken of 2 souls as 1, which is the beginning of family, which is the beginning of community.

Hiibiiscus invites me and I click The Missing Peace where I find these words from the Dalai Lama, the Nobel Peace Prize winner for 1989:

Peace starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us. When our community is in a state of peace, it can share that peace with neighboring communities.