The Present Danger the World Faces: A Call to Peace
There are times throughout history when conflicts that abound are of such intensity and create such suffering that humanity, in order to remain aligned with the roots of its conscience, must seek to address the root causes of these conflicts, and to end the destructive potential that their continuance would create.
Such is the time that we are now in - a time in which the latent hostility and suspiciousness between nations is coming to the fore in order to be put to rest, yet which, in the meanwhile, is creating great strife between peoples, and within nations themselves, between groups of people. There is no remedy for this strife other than to understand that there cannot be a world of peace where one brother fights against another, or feels that they have less right to exist than another. There cannot be a world of prosperity where one nation hoards the wealth that it feels belongs to themselves, while others starve. What affects one nation affects the world, and the consciousness of humanity must soon grow to incorporate this truth so that the world as a whole can finally come to a place of peace and harmony.
Throughout history, there have been times of heightened conflict and times in which war seemed like the inevitable solution to a problem, even when others may have been available had they been pursued. These alternative solutions were most often not pursued because they did not serve the self-interest of those commanding the battles or those who would seemingly benefit from victory. It could not be known at that time that there is never any victor in a war; there are only two or several who are defeated - some who are defeated on the battlefield or place of engagement, and others who are defeated because of the corruption that war causes within the heart. War is never a good solution to a problem of division or enmity.
We are, today, living at a time in which another war could break out without much prompting and without an announcement to herald its coming. It could occur because of the volatility of human emotion that is presently engaged on the world scene between two cultures - the predominantly Christian culture of the West and the predominantly Islamic culture of the Middle East - that seemingly have different ways of living that they cling to and different standards concerning what the world should be like. In reality, this difference is not as great as it might appear, for all human beings, everywhere, wish to live in peace, with security for their families and support for their children to become educated and to lead lives in which their potential can be realized. There are no human beings who are excluded from such wishes, and for these to be fulfilled, for these to affect the life and livelihood of all, all who participate in conflict must find a way of speaking with each other and of seeking the accord that may only be found beneath the outer disturbances of relationship, within the true essence of unity that lies below.
It is not possible to know, at this time, what the nature of the coming conflict or conflagration will be, but its beginnings are in the air, even at this moment, and its inception is being prodded by those who think that there is such a thing as a military solution to the problem of differences in culture and outlook, or differences in national self-interest and where it takes individual nations. There is no military solution that will ever bring peace, except temporarily. There is no power great enough that, by force of strength, can bring peace to the Earth. Only compromise and conciliation, based on an understanding that One human heart beats within all can achieve this end, and only cooperation and a willingness to forgive one's adversary can create an atmosphere in which such conciliation can become possible.
Before such time as open conflict breaks out between the East and the West - between those of a vast Islamic culture who seek their place in the sun of this world, and those of the predominantly Christian West who have already found and wish to hold onto their place - it is essential that all thoughts of peace be awakened within the human heart so that such a conflict does not even seem like a possibility. At present, this is not the case, and military action is being contemplated in situations in which economic pressure and the power of threat alone appear not to be sufficient to achieve desired outcomes. Those who adhere to the principles of light and love, who seek to uphold the Earth in her present struggle to move into a new era of peace and light, must now come together in their hearts to pray for the world, for the situation is dire, and the capacity for a single movement that would catapult the world into open military engagement very great.
We pray for those for whom the power exists to influence the course of action that nations may take in the present moment, and for those peoples whose desire is only to end the suffering they presently endure and to restore security, safety, and the resumption of a more normal life.
We pray for all who suffer with a loss of the basic means to live and with the loss of many whom they have loved.
We pray for the Earth itself that holds the suffering of all and the hopelessness of all who are in pain - an Earth that at the present time is struggling with the labor pains of preparing to give birth to new life.
We pray for the world itself that it may find a way, before it is too late, to understand the Oneness of all hearts within the unity of the greater love of the Creator who has sanctified and made holy all of life.
