P E A C E
Peace is the simplicity of heart. Serenity of mind. Tranquility of soul. Bond of love.
—Padre Pio
It seems as if I’ve been praying or singing for peace since I was a child; in adulthood, more urgently and intentionally. As my worldview has evolved, my overall understanding of how peace might happen has changed. Realizing the many complicated issues that permeate reaching peace agreements, acknowledging that not being at the negotiating table there is a lot I do not know. Even in that state aware that there are many layers of change and appreciation of various cultures, power issues and shifts of the heart and mind that might need to occur, not just in a moment but over time. They are all unknowables.
Of course, many of the viewpoints about peace that I had as a youngster and merely accepted through the wisdom of my elders, I no longer cling to or even believe some their viewpoints from a different time and era. I’ve changed, matured, and transformed my thinking and ways of being. Sometimes with a great deal of resistance and hard, deep inner digging. That may have been why when I read the cover title, “Composting the Past” of Kosmos, Volume 24, Issue 6, I was intrigued.
Yes, that’s what I’ve been doing, inner composting. In the editorial from this issue, r.fabian writes:
Transforming the past requires humility. It asks us to look deeply into our pain and our misunderstanding. It asks us to touch the truth of impermanence—that nothing stays the same and everything is connected—and to recognize our place in the broader web of life. We don’t have to do it alone. In fact, composting is a process of communion.
When I recognize so many of my illusions collapsing around me, there is a feeling of panic and numerous questions arising: Oh, my gosh, now what? What do I believe? How will I survive? Who is my brother or sister? Am I really being authentic in my life, artistic endeavors, and relationships with my neighbors, or even with God? These are just samples of questions that have been haunting me lately. They are questions of faith, and they are stirring dialogues of hope, potential, and collaboration.
And it is clear that outer circumstances don’t necessarily reflect the efficacy of the praying and singing about peace. With a softened heart at least there might be peace somewhere if not within myself in moments of stillness.
Things have always been changing and will continue to do so, but the childlike whimsical fantasy of how all that happens has matured. For me coming to this understanding gradually has been a blessing. But, I’m not the only one. There are other creators and thinkers who have been acknowledging and alluding to a time of enormous transitions for years. No offense, but if this time is striking you as a surprise, you haven’t been paying attention. Or maybe, like me you thought it was lifetimes away.
So much of my life is devoted to body and movement, and maintaining a level of balance throughout all the systems of the body, which includes the sacredness of the human form. As with any creative process, whether dancing, writing, or composting there are some messy moments; I might even suggest, terrifying moments. But afterwards, the richness and abundance that emerges is something new, fresh, and exhilarating, and perhaps not thought of before, certainly, not fully articulated.
Whether it looks that way or not. We are in the midst of a holy transition, failing to heed it, will determine the end point, which is generations ahead. For decades, even folks in the dance/movement fields were trying to prepare for this upliftment and alignment with spirit through the body, heart, and soul in the form of circle dances. There was a time when movement gatherings of divergent groups came together to sing and dance. Sometimes these events took place outdoors calling attention to a specific environmental issue but for sure embracing everyone. They were total body experiences without mental intervention, just pure movement toward the center, toward wholeness, justice, care for the environment, and peace.
So, here I am decades later with no words to fully express my inner struggle, and episodes of alarm noting my resistance to mystery; the inner composting!
But, I still remember the childhood song, “Let There Be Peace On Earth”, maybe you do too!
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father
[We] are family.
Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let there be peace on earth,
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
adapted by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson
PEACE! PEACE! PEACE!