Love and Peace — A Reflection

On our walk this morning, we happened to see this dolphin swimming and playing in the water near the walkway we were on. I’m not sure how long we stayed to watch and enjoy this beautiful creature; however, I do know that we left our friend after it swam out of our view with an amazing sense of peace. Moments in nature are often where we can see God’s presence and where we can, as Thomas Merton wrote in New Seeds of Contemplation, join God and creation in the cosmic / general dance.

I have been thinking a lot about the world situation today and often wonder what Merton, Dorothy Day, and Daniel Berigan, some of my spiritual mentors, would have to say about the violence, hatred, and warfare we experience today. These thoughts have invited me to dig deeper into their writings as I process my own thoughts and contemplate how we can make a difference in the world today.

Merton had this to say about peace and love: “So instead of loving what you think is peace, love other people and love God above all. And instead of hating the people you think are warmongers, hate the appetites and the disorder in your own soul, which are the causes of war. If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed — but hate these things in yourself, not in another.” — Passion for Peace.

There is so much to consider, dear reader, and my prayer is that you and I won’t become overwhelmed and paralyzed by it all. May we do all that we can through prayer and action in our own little corner of the world and seek to do justice, love mercy/kindness, and walk humbly with God and with one another.