In this time of turmoil and change, many people on Earth are mobilizing for what each considers to be another battle against darkness and evil. Each side feels they are in the right, and that it is up to them to save the world.

Of course, this is nothing new. The great controversy between the light and the dark has been playing out for eons, and the curious thing is that no matter what side one chooses to align with, that side is always in the light. Nearly everyone who chooses to fight does so because they truly believe it is the right thing to do, and that it is the only way to defeat the perceived evil of the other side.

Today there is another battle cry echoing through the land. It is a call to arms for spiritual warriors around the world, mobilizing for what is seen as the last great battle for peace on Earth. The weapons are different—instead of guns and bombs we are asked to use love, compassion, and prayer, and, if necessary, peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience.

On the surface this looks like a huge advancement in human consciousness, and it truly is. But for me it begs the question, isn't it really just another way of fighting the battle? Isn't it still the "light" trying to defeat the "dark"? Isn't it still one group of people trying to wrest control from another group so that we can shape the world the way we want it instead of the way they want it? Do those of us who cherish peace really have the right to impose peace on the rest of the world?

From my own childhood experience I learned that an imposed peace is just another form of tyranny, and it is just as destructive. Conflict and disagreement are a natural part of life, and if it is pushed under the surface in the name of keeping the peace it will eventually explode in frustration, anger, and violence.

Today we have scientifically validated the power of prayer, and we have learned that by joining together in prayer we can affect the outcome of world events. But is this constructive? Is it possible that even the power of prayer can be misused? Is it possible that by praying for peace in a given situation, we could actually throw a blanket over a conflict that needs to be resolved? Is it possible we could just be delaying the inevitable and setting the stage for a bigger and more intense explosion? Is it possible that even in praying for peace, we are imposing our own will upon others?

When we wage war for peace, no matter how spiritually we phrase it or how loving and compassionate our intentions and our "weapons" are, we are still at war. In our attempt to create peace we are going against everything that is not peace, and when we do that we feed and empower the other side. It is the same old battle between the light and the dark, and that battle can never be won.

There is another way. In learning to harness the power of prayer we have also learned that the world we experience on the outside is a reflection of our consciousness on the inside. We have learned that we are creators, and that the statement "I Am," in any form, is the most powerful force in the universe. We have learned that peace on Earth begins and ends within our own hearts.

If we really want peace on Earth, we must choose something very different than we have ever chosen before. We must choose unconditional peace inside, no matter what appears to be happening on the outside. We must be peace, and that means we must make peace in our hearts even with war and with those who choose war. We must fearlessly and compassionately embrace peace and war, and we must begin to see that even the bombs are divine and perfect expressions of Love and that nothing needs to be fixed.

Right now people are "drawing lines in the sand" all over the place, but the question for us is simple: Are we going to take one side over another, even the side of peace, and thereby perpetuate the conflict, or are we going to step outside of the conflict and embrace all sides? Are we going to try to bend the world to fit our idea of what it should look like, or are we going to embrace it just the way it is and thereby allow it to reflect our own inner peace?

That is the choice that can truly change the world, for it is an amazing fact that when we embrace all sides of a conflict with love and compassion, and without judgment, the conflict loses it's energy and begins to resolve itself. And lest you wonder what one person could possibly accomplish by standing in the background and "doing nothing," it is another amazing fact that the simple presence of one person who is truly at peace is more powerful than a thousand people in fear.

When we stand in peace we become a bright and powerful beacon. When others see that beacon they feel our peace and love, and they lower their weapons and begin to discover their own inner peace. Then they begin to shine more brightly themselves, and soon peace and love spreads far and wide and the world becomes a happier place. Only this time it is by choice, rather than from obligation.

Today humanity is faced with a grand decision, a decision that will decide the course of this planet for thousands of years to come. But that choice is not between peace and war. It is, rather: Are we going to continue to play the game of duality? Are we going to continue to see peace as different from war, or as better or worse than war? Are we going to continue to try to decide what is best for others?

Or, are we willing to step back and take a broader view, and to see that it is all a divine and perfect expression of Love? Are we willing to consider that each and every person is always doing exactly what he or she most needs to do, and is expressing Divine will in the most perfect way? Are we willing to step outside of duality and embrace all things, just exactly the way they are?

Are we willing to be unconditional peace?

 

Copyright © 2002 by John McCurdy. John McCurdy is a teacher, writer, and life coach, focused on helping people to remember who they are and to integrate the energy of the New Earth and of their own Divine Essence. Visit www.johnmccurdy.com for more information. This article may be freely reproduced as long as it is reproduced in its entirety, and as long as this notice and the contact information above is included, and no fee is charged. Written permission must be obtained from the author for any other use.