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Praying for peace is praying for an open heart.

May 21, 2023

When you pray that peace be restored, you’re actually praying that the heart vision experienced by others is clear and constant. The peace comes from human interaction. It doesn’t come from a magical place called heaven, for peace in the end is an acceptance, not just a forgiveness.

When warring parties agree to peace, it is often without forgiveness. One country cannot readily forgive the suffering incurred by another nation, but the peace that is achieved is actually a recognition that there are some directions that can be pursued together. Sure, there are examples of wars being fought and the losing power being willing to give up its pursuits, but what happens after the end of those hostilities? The losing party does not disappear. The losing party ultimately finds common ground for moving ahead, even with the victors.

Achieving peace comes from your prayerful openness to accepting the equality of others. It comes from such acceptance leading to the conviction that there is nothing to be gained by control, by subjugation. All of the elements that go into creating peace as an absence of conflict involve a commitment of human beings one to another.

You pray for compassion. It is not that God suddenly changes people into becoming compassionate but rather the commitment of people to the ultimate value of compassion. Praying for peace is praying for an open heart. It is not praying for some power coming from heaven.

Praying for peace is praying for an open heart.

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