Blessed are peacemakers … they will be called ‘children of God’

Last week we started Dr. Deepak Chopra’s seven-step program to promote world peace. In every spiritual tradition, the leaders proclaim that peace must exist in one’s heart before it can exist in the outer world.

Personal transformation is essential if we are to live in peace and harmony internally and with others.

Last week we looked at practices for the first four days of the week: Sunday, Being for Peace; Monday, Thinking for Peace; Tuesday, Feeling for Peace; and Wednesday, Speaking for Peace.

Today we continue with the other three days.

• Thursday: Acting for Peace.

Today is the day to help someone in need – a child, a sick person or an older or frail person.

Help can take many forms. Tell yourself, “Today I will bring a smile to a stranger’s face. If someone acts in a hurtful way to me or someone else, I will respond with a gesture of loving kindness. I will send an anonymous gift to someone, however small. I will offer help without asking for gratitude or recognition.”

• Friday: Creating Peace.

Come up with at least one creative idea to resolve a conflict, either in your personal life or your family circle or among friends.

If you can, try to create an idea that applies to your community, the nation, or the whole world. You may change an old habit that is not working, look at someone a new way, offer words you never offered before, or think of an activity that brings people together in good feeling and laughter.

Second, invite a family member or friend to come up with one creative idea of this kind on their own. Creativity feels best when you are the one thinking up the new idea or approach.

Make it known that you accept and enjoy the creativity of others. Let the ideas flow and try out anything that has appeal. The purpose here is to bond, because only when you bond with others can there be mutual trust. When you trust, hidden hostility and suspicion, the two great enemies of peace, vanish.

• Saturday: Sharing for Peace.

Share your practice of peacemaking with two people. Give them this information and invite them to begin the daily practice.

As more of us participate in this sharing, our practice will expand into a tremendous force.

Today joyfully celebrate your own peace consciousness with at least one other peace-conscious person. Connect either through e-mail or phone. Share your experience of growing peace.

Share your gratitude that someone else is as serious about peace as you are. Share your ideas for helping the world move closer to a gigantic force for peace. Do whatever you can, in small or large ways, to help anyone who wants to become a peacemaker.

• The Best Reason to Become a Peacemaker.

If you transform yourself into a peacemaker, you will not become an activist marching in the streets. You will not be “anti” anything. No money is required. All you are asked to do is to go within and dedicate yourself to peace. It will work.

Even if you do not immediately see a decline in violence around the world, you will know in your heart that you have dedicated your own life to peace.

The best reason to become a peacemaker is that every other approach has failed. We do not know how many peacemakers exist today. We can bring change to our world by our personal transformation.

Right now, 21.3 million soldiers are serving in armies around the world. We can recruit a peace brigade 10 times larger if we are serious about promoting world peace.

It takes an effort. The effort begins with each individual.

Jesus told us, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:8).