SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 353

WE ARE EXPLORING THE HEAVENLY ATTRIBUTE OF PEACE

+ We are called to create and enjoy a realm of compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance for all.

+

The Beatitudes

 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.  Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

-- Matthew 5:1-12 NRSV

+ Human beings are not our enemy. Our enemy is not the other person. Our enemy is the violence, ignorance, and injustice in us and in the other person. When we are armed with compassion and understanding, we fight not against other people, but against the tendency to invade, to dominate, and to exploit.

-- Thich Nhat Hanh in Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames by Thich Nhat Hanh

This was the Spirituality & Practice Spiritual Practice of the Day on September 9, 2015.

+ Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human hearts.

-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

+ I thought about sharing only the  beatitude about peacemaking – Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God – but then it occurred to me that the main point I want to make here is how peacemaking requires all of the traits the Beatitudes offer and The Great Commandment and the Golden Rule and “Love your enemy” and what Thich Nhat Hanh and Alexander Solzhenitsyn emphasize here. 

Peacemaking is all about expanding our awareness of what compassion is all about.  Peacemaking happens when we seek reconciliation with those we find offensive in any way. A real peace requires vigilance, determination, courage, wisdom, humility, discernment, open-mindedness and open-heartedness. All of the 12 Spiritual Practices and 9 Attributes of Heaven we are exploring in this journey come into play.  Peacemaking is a life-long commitment which is now more essential than ever.   

+ Spirituality & Practice offers plenty of resources on the practice of Peace and plenty of resources on the practice of Justice. Also S&P provides a 12s Gallery of Memes on Peace and a 12s Gallery of Memes on Justice.  Also, there is plenty of resources on the practice of Connections and a 12s Gallery on Connections. The meme for this post comes from the Peace gallery.

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post.  And, I have work to do on the Abundancetrek Peace page. Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Peace” or “Heavenly Attributes” or “Guest Post” to John@abundancetrek.com.

+ You can always find a link to any of the Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html