The brave women and men that surround us are those that work for peace.
They are the loving parents, bright children, dedicated scholars, working men and women, courageous leaders, creative artists, earnest religious men and women, and citizens everywhere who, rather than take up arms and spend their days planning for destructive unjust and violent acts, seek ways to work with one another to create a peaceful, prosperous world for all.
The numbers of peacemakers, I believe, far outnumber warriors--those who spend their lives working to harm and hurt others directly or indirectly.
It takes courage to stand up to those who disagree with you armed only with words and the willingness to discuss and debate issues. Those who are brave are willing to compromise too as they work for peace and justice for all people.
I shudder as I think of those who work to harm others, particularly others who are innocent people who simply spend their days loving and caring for family members and working to earn a living and do well by neighbor and friend. I wonder how anyone can strike out against innocents. I surmise that they are angry for past wrongs done to them or their families or perhaps they are impaired in some way, but they certainly have no idea about the brevity or wonder of life.
Life is very, very short in contrast to time--we are but a blink of an eye, a drop of rain, a grain of sand, a glint of light--so tiny in the sea of time are we, yet our potential for good and lasting moments of generosity, care, kindness, love, and grace are amazing. We can do so much good in our short lives, yet too often we don't seize that opportunity, and some sadly do the opposite.
The bravest among us are the peacemakers, those who work day in and day out to spread goodwill and peace to others. We all can point to those people in our midst and we will do well to emulate them in our own lives as much as possible.
And while I support all who work for peace, I recognize the brave service of the armed forces who work with strategy to defend our country and its citizens.
