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Ten Ways to Stop the War with Your Spirit51. Pray for Peace. You don’t need a church, or a prayer book. You don’t even need to be religious. If you have any sense that there is a greater reality, a greater being, or a greater purpose in this world, take a moment of silence, and give words to your thoughts. If you would like to draw on the words of ages, there is a beautiful collection of prayers for peace from every religion at www.peaceprayer.org/iraq.html. If you have never prayed before, all you need do is choose the words that feel comfortable, and say “Dear (Lord, Creator, Spirit of the Universe) - I don’t know how to pray, but please hear my words.” And then speak from your heart. Don’t be shy to ask for the biggest blessing you can imagine, to help turn this world from war to peace, from dominance to cooperation. 52. Organize a Prayer Service for Peace. Light candles, sing hymns, write letters, offer petitions.
53. Meditate for Peace. Choose a quiet place, light a candle, and find your inner peace. Visualize Iraq in your mind, and picture a hundred candles for peace being lit there, in people’s homes. Now picture a candle for peace being lit in every Iraqi home. Now visualize Washington in your mind, and repeat the process. Expand that, to the whole of America. Now visualize people all over Iraq and all over America, with their candles, turning to look towards each other. Feel their desire for peace; feel them sharing it. Visualize them opening their hearts to each other, and asking their God for help. Visualize the prophet Mohammed and the saviour Jesus reaching out their hands to each other in heaven, sharing their compassion, and their desire that the people on Earth should stop, listen, and work together for peace. (It was for his skills as a peace-maker and mediator that the prophet Mohammed first came to his people’s attention.) Visualize them reaching down to Earth together, responding to the prayers of their people. Visualize the whole Earth responding. Visualize everyone in heaven responding. Visualize everyone, in every home in every nation, saying “Teach us how to live in Peace.” When you feel complete, breathe in deeply, and stretch your fingers and toes. Hold your hands over your heart, to ground your meditation, and bring your consciousness back to the present. Give thanks to all who might have been present, in whatever dimension. Repeat daily. 54. Hold Them in the Light. In your prayer or meditation, or during a quiet moment in the washroom, take a moment to hold the key world leaders in the light. Visualize George Bush sitting quietly on his own, taking a moment to reflect. Invoke the deepest peace you can imagine, and invite it to descend upon him, surrounding him with love. Visualize it filling him with faith, instead of fear. Visualize it filling him with compassion, instead of hostility. Visualize him opening to the possibility that together, as a world community, we can solve this problem. Visualize him letting go of his fears, and saying no to the big financial interests who are goading him into war. Visualize him turning into a truly great leader, choosing the path of peace. Repeat the exercise for Saddam Hussein. 55. Say Grace for Peace. Every time you sit down for a meal, whether alone or with your family and friends, say a brief prayer for peace. Ask that the people of Iraq and the people of America may break bread peacefully, in the hope that one day, they may be able to break bread peacefully together. 56. Dance for Peace. If you are alone, clear away the furniture, and put on some appropriate music. Light a candle, and dedicate your dance to peace in the world, peace in Iraq, peace in the hearts of Americans. The let your body dance its wisdom, as your spirit soars free. If you have friends, do the same together. If you have confidence, take your dance into a public place. Tell the media. 57. Share Poems for Peace. Go to the Nth Position website, and download their book of 100 Poets Against the War. Choose one of the poems each day, and send it with a suggested email action to all your friends. See www.nthposition.com. Organize a Poets for Peace reading in your public library – see www.unitedpoets.org. 58. Sing for Peace. Get together with your friends and sing songs for peace. If you are a singer, or if you belong to a choir, folk club, rock group, or chanting circle, include peace songs in your next concert. Suggest that all the singers in town come together for one big peace concert.
59. Paint for Peace. Invite your city’s artists to come together with their paints, chalks, and crayons in a big “Paint for Peace” event. If you know someone who runs a pub or restaurant where they have colours and paper napkins, suggest they hold a “Paint for Peace” evening – every night.
60. Make a Personal Invocation for Peace. In the morning, when you get up - or whenever it feels right - turn to the Universe, and say HERE I AM. I’M READY TO SERVE. SING THROUGH ME. DANCE THROUGH ME. LET ME BE YOUR FLUTE. SHOW ME HOW I CAN HELP STOP THIS WAR, AND CREATE PEACE ON EARTH. Then prepare for miracles. |
