Postcards for Peace

Post date: Dec 23, 2014 9:23:37 PM

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Getting to Peace

100 years after the "war to end all wars" commenced, senseless killing continues across the world.

According to www.warsintheworld.com there are today 62 countries and 549 militias and separatist groups involved in ongoing conflicts.

We hear and read of only a fraction of these from our media. And often only after an MH 17 event do our leaders express outrage.

The greatest social injustice is war.

"You shall not kill" - Exodus 20:13

Discussion Points

Some of the questions to be asked/raised include:

1. Who provides the money to buy the weapons? Where do they get their money?

2. Who profits from the weapons sales or the fighting?

3. What non-violent action can be taken to stop/prevent violence?

4. Who can make that action a reality?

Some Suggested Actions

The Macarthur Social Justice Network developed some really innovative action suggestions:

1. Suggest Parishes include Pope Francis’ Prayer for Peace at masses and private prayer groups

2. Schedule a special “Prayer for Peace” day and time when people in different locations can pray together

3. Postcards for Peace – Invite people from around the world to send postcards to national leaders with the simple request “Peace”

4. Postcards for People – Invite people to send postcards to Christian leaders and communities in war torn regions expressing solidarity and including relevant scriptural quotes.

Think about and discuss what effect these may have and how these could be put into practice.

Prayer for Peace

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain.

Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness.

Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam!

Amen.

(Pope Francis)

Some Other Links

Pope Francis Video https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152287992110723

World Day of Peace http://www.msjn.org/hot-news-1/worlddayofpeace-fraternitythefoundationandpathwaytopeace

Meeting for Peace http://www.msjn.org/hot-news-1/popewritestothetwenty-sixthinternationalmeetingforpeace

Achieving Peace with Justice http://www.msjn.org/hot-news-1/achievingpeacewithjustice

TED Talks - The Road to Peace http://www.ted.com/playlists/22/the_road_to_peace

TED Talk - Radical Experiment in Empathy https://www.ted.com/talks/sam_richards_a_radical_experiment_in_empathy

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/12/23/pope_writes_christmas_letter_to_middle_east's_christians/1115787