How Can I Make Peace Come Alive in My World?

By Johnray S. Asiñero
Fourth Year – St John Vianney, Sacred Heart Academy, Bugo, Cagayan de Oro City

The world is a kaleidoscopic orb engineered by the Almighty God. It is a paradigm of an exquisite creation, an extraordinary world of blues and greens as seen from afar. Alongside this enormous creation is a sad fact that continuously threatens the brilliance of this variegated world. The world is threatened to be eclipsed with darkness as PEACE is obscured and as civil unrest causes massive afflictions to the people. The ingress of this inauspicious problem is rooted in deep misconceptions of our true moral obligations as humans – to respect each person’s dignity, to set up strong relationships and to act justly on these.

Nowadays, people have different interpretations of peace. Most say that peace is the absence of war or conflict. But, beyond this simple word is an innate and profound drift of life. Peace is the satiety of life. It is establishing a concordant relationship with the people and God. It is about giving due deference to the person’s respectability and understanding its crucial role in designing an ideal home for all. Accentuating the indispensable importance of social order in this world is to contribute in rekindling world peace, grounded in devout principles that our Savior taught us, despite social tumult.

As I search for further enlightenment, a sad picture crosses my mind. The picture of our modern society distressed with corruption, discrimination and innumerable human rights violations. Today’s view of society represents an annihilation of human morality as abuse in power and uncontrolled human rights violence proliferates. These certain acts overlook the entity of true peace in the context of human freedom.

I came to realize the importance of justice in attaining true peace, a justice equated with respect for human dignity and rights. Peace is grounded in justice and it is only through it that we can establish a formidable relationship, cordial ties which are the prerequisite for initiating a strong foundation for peace.

Moreover, the trudge for peace cannot be realized if I am not fully committed to bringing inner peace to every individual. That’s why as an advocate of peace I am called to develop a sense of social responsibility which plays a substantial role in realizing peace in this world. I am accountable for our society’s welfare and I have the responsibility to preserve each person’s dignity as I preserve mine too. Additionally, indulging myself in beneficent activities promoting social inclusion among impoverished people is a great start in restructuring the framework of authentic peace. It is important to show our deep commiseration, compassion and acceptance in order to embrace them whole-heartedly.

I can still remember the day when we brought sweet delights to the less fortunate children in our place. It was December 2009 when the Venerable Catherine McAuley Club planned to reach out to those children who are financially crippled. These children were out of school and at their age they could not read or write. Our hearts were moved after we saw their present condition. Seeing those children smile in our presence was truly satisfactory. Through it was hard on our part, we were proud that through our own little ways, we had imparted special things to them.

Indeed, the call for social responsibility really comes in my willingness to commit myself and help our neighbors. Through peregrinations, Jesus enlightened the torch to brighten our path. The dynamic indulgence of Jesus in helping the needy is an inspiration for me to help these people. Through the multifaceted gifts that are endowed to us by God I as a promoter of peace must use these to arouse the spirit of ‘bayanihan’ to stir up the hearts of every people to work hand-in-hand in achieving this goal. Practically, I am summoned to be fully committed in helping our neighbors. I should straightaway help them. I would dare myself to be socially close to those who are marginalized. They are entitled to have the right to live in this world and I should respect that fact. I should not judge them for who they are but on what they have done in making this world complete. Let us all remember that to God, everyone is equal. No superior, no inferior.

Truly, achieving Peace is a long-time process. It doesn’t come in an instant of time. It takes time to build peace in our world. Through God’s intervention and graces, I am confident enough that we are at the threshold of genuine Peace. What we need now is constant change. As an advocate of peace I am called to uphold Justice and Equality. I have the social responsibility to help and uplift the present situation of the people who are enduring their downtrodden life. Jesus, as a perfect exemplar of peace, has said, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself’. I am indeed called to establish the strong foundation of peace through giving my heart to the needy, in accordance with the principles of Jesus Christ. Indeed, I am summoned to extinguish the societal gap which is a hitch in attaining Peace. Peace truly starts when we Persevere in Establishing Amiable Connection to Everyone.

The question now is, ‘Are you to be a pursuer of PEACE?’ If so, let us join hand-in-hand in groping the path towards achieving the zenith of world PEACE held through the teachings of Christ.