\u201cPeace on earth, goodwill towards people!\u201d\u00a0 A high school friend has sent me this seasonal greeting for several decades now.\u00a0 Oh, and my friend changed the wording, \u201ctowards men\u201d to \u201ctowards people\u201d with the very first greeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeace on earth, goodwill towards people\u201d is an expression often heard this time of year during our Festivals of Lights<\/b> when we express joy, love and peace for one another.\u00a0 Joy and love are gifts which we give freely, with no strings attached, to each other that really capture the spirit of the season.\u00a0 We want peace to be this way also, but it is not.<\/p>\n
Peace is a dream.\u00a0 It is like the \u201cbeloved community\u201d which Starr wants to achieve through DEI-B — diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.\u00a0 The results Starr would like through our equity planning is this:<\/p>\n
Our desire is to live and work with one another with a felt sense of safety, compassion, and belonging.\u00a0 We dream of a \u2018beloved community\u2019 where all beings feel<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 seen, heard, and respected.\u00a0 Starr Commonwealth is striving to create a culture where it is believed and understood that all can embrace and respect one <\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 another and pursue the highest attainment of health, joy and opportunity for all.<\/i><\/p>\n
Peace is something which we humans have longed for since we first walked upon this earth.\u00a0 As Hillary McDowell states in On the Way to Bethlehem<\/i><\/b>, we seek peace like an ointment to soothe a heart in pain; or to wipe out feelings of guilt; or to escape from an uncomfortable and stressful situation.\u00a0 We want peace to be a remedy, a cure; however, it is not.\u00a0 Peace as dream is an aftermath.<\/p>\n
Peace follows only when we are willing to personally let go of that which creates barriers between ourselves and those around us.\u00a0 These barriers lead to fear and so many of the issues which shape our human experience.\u00a0 Peace requires work, sacrifice and, dare I say it — belief!\u00a0 Peace is not serenity; it is not a hiding place, or a relief from trouble.\u00a0 Peace is brought about by those who are willing to endure the uncomfortableness of change; those who are willing \u00a0to see life through the eyes and experiences of the marginalized; those who know that there will be betrayals and disappointments on the journey towards peace; \u00a0those who hold onto the hope that peace is possible not in some distant \u201cfuture\u201d, but in the reality of \u201cnow\u201d; and those who know the work of peace is ongoing and daily.<\/p>\n
The dream of \u201cbeloved community\u201d is the same.\u00a0 We can plan and scheme, but it really comes down to those who are willing to change, who are willing to see life differently, those who understand there will be betrayals and disappointments along the way, those who believe such a community is possible, and those who work at it daily.<\/p>\n
So, to everyone, \u201cPeace on earth, goodwill towards people\u201d — peace to all!\u00a0 However, this is not just a seasonal greeting for this time of year; it is a daily greeting all year long.\u00a0 If I may paraphrase the words of the late theologian, Howard Thurman —<\/p>\n
When the lights of the Festivals are extinguished and put away<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The work of Peace really begins\u2026\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To find the lost,<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To heal the broken,<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To feed the hungry,<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To release the prisoner,<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To rebuild the nations,<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To bring joy and love among brothers and sisters,<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To make music in the heart.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cPeace on earth, goodwill towards people!\u201d\u00a0 A high school friend has sent me this seasonal greeting for several decades now.\u00a0 Oh, and my friend changed the wording, \u201ctowards men\u201d to \u201ctowards people\u201d with the very first greeting. \u201cPeace on earth, goodwill towards people\u201d is an expression often heard this time of year during our Festivals […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":49317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"coauthors":[463],"class_list":["post-49316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n