A friend sent me this and I thought I would share it --
Kenoli
This from my friend and former housemate, and a dear peacemaker
who was
recently honoured by the Dali Lama for his work with children...The words of
recently honoured by the Dali Lama for his work with children...The words of
MLK ring deep in my soul...may they reverberate around the
world.
Greetings of Peace
and Love!!
Dear Friends of Peace,
Greeting you in the name of peace. I trust that you are well and that in the aftermath of this tragedy you are finding peace and solace with friends and family.
There are a few times in my life when I have felt this level of despair. My despair however, has always been strengthened by a belief in God and a faith that love will always triumph over hatred. I have spent many hours with many people in the quest for world peace who have shared with me stories of how love prevailed over untold horror. I have to believe that even with this tragedy we can find a way to have love triumph over horror and destruction. We have infinite capacity to find and share words that build instead of destroy. I believe this with all my heart.
The week beginning Tuesday, September 11 the day of the tragedy which is also the "International Day of Peace" and ending on Tuesday, September 18 which is "Hear the Children Day of Peace" is Culture of Peace Week, as designated by the United Nations. Our Children are asking for a more peaceful world. Let us hear them and help to achieve this noble goal. Please remember to spread daily acts of peace to all who dwell on this beautiful earth.
I ask that we all pray for the souls of those have passed on, that the terror that they felt in their last minutes be erased as they pass on to the next journey. Let us also pray for the families left behind who must be in anguish, such as we cannot imagine. For those who may still be buried in the rubble, may they find strength to endure and may their rescue be swift. For all of us I pray for restraint, patience and the courage to seek peace and not more violence.
As I search for words to share about this tragedy, especially when I am convinced that restraint I am so grateful for my friend Kirk who sent this e-mail. These are the words of Dr. Martin Luther King who even as his own violent death loomed on the horizon never relented in his quest for peace:
Here are the excerpts:
August of 1967, "Where do we go from here?"
"And so I say to you today that I will stand by nonviolence. I am still convinced that it is the most potent weapon available to the Negro in his struggle for justice in this country. And the other is that I am concerned about a better world. I'm concerned about justice. I'm concerned about brotherhood. I'm concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about
these, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that.
And I say to you, I have also decided to stick to love. For I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn't popular to talk about it in some circles today. I'm not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love, I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. And I have seen too much hate. I've seen too much hate on the faces of sheriffs in the South. I've seen hate on the faces of too many Klansmen and too many White Citizens Councilors in the South to want to hate myself, because every time I see it, I know that
it does something to their faces and their personalities and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love.
If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has
Dear Friends of Peace,
Greeting you in the name of peace. I trust that you are well and that in the aftermath of this tragedy you are finding peace and solace with friends and family.
There are a few times in my life when I have felt this level of despair. My despair however, has always been strengthened by a belief in God and a faith that love will always triumph over hatred. I have spent many hours with many people in the quest for world peace who have shared with me stories of how love prevailed over untold horror. I have to believe that even with this tragedy we can find a way to have love triumph over horror and destruction. We have infinite capacity to find and share words that build instead of destroy. I believe this with all my heart.
The week beginning Tuesday, September 11 the day of the tragedy which is also the "International Day of Peace" and ending on Tuesday, September 18 which is "Hear the Children Day of Peace" is Culture of Peace Week, as designated by the United Nations. Our Children are asking for a more peaceful world. Let us hear them and help to achieve this noble goal. Please remember to spread daily acts of peace to all who dwell on this beautiful earth.
I ask that we all pray for the souls of those have passed on, that the terror that they felt in their last minutes be erased as they pass on to the next journey. Let us also pray for the families left behind who must be in anguish, such as we cannot imagine. For those who may still be buried in the rubble, may they find strength to endure and may their rescue be swift. For all of us I pray for restraint, patience and the courage to seek peace and not more violence.
As I search for words to share about this tragedy, especially when I am convinced that restraint I am so grateful for my friend Kirk who sent this e-mail. These are the words of Dr. Martin Luther King who even as his own violent death loomed on the horizon never relented in his quest for peace:
Here are the excerpts:
August of 1967, "Where do we go from here?"
"And so I say to you today that I will stand by nonviolence. I am still convinced that it is the most potent weapon available to the Negro in his struggle for justice in this country. And the other is that I am concerned about a better world. I'm concerned about justice. I'm concerned about brotherhood. I'm concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about
these, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that.
And I say to you, I have also decided to stick to love. For I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn't popular to talk about it in some circles today. I'm not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love, I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. And I have seen too much hate. I've seen too much hate on the faces of sheriffs in the South. I've seen hate on the faces of too many Klansmen and too many White Citizens Councilors in the South to want to hate myself, because every time I see it, I know that
it does something to their faces and their personalities and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love.
If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has
love has the key
that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality
What I'm saying to you this morning is that communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the thesis of communism nor the antithesis
of capitalism but in a higher synthesis. It is found in a higher synthesis that combines the truths of both. Now, when I say question the whole society, it means ultimately coming to see that the problem of racism, the problem of economic exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. These are the triple evils that are interrelated.
Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
Let us realize that William Cullen Bryant is right: 'Truth crushed to earth will rise again.' Let us go out realizing that the Bible is right: 'Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' This is for hope for the future, and with this faith we will be able to sing in some not too distant tomorrow with a cosmic past tense, 'We have
overcome, we have overcome, deep in my heart, I did believe we would overcome."
End of speech excerpts.
Thirty four years later Dr. King's words still ring true. From everything I have read and know about Dr. King, I believe he would give this very same speech today. I pray that Dr. King's words or at least the sentiments expressed will reach the White House and the Chambers of both Houses of Congress before rash decisions are made.
One prayer I must not forget, a very important one, easy to overlook. Let us pray for our Sisters and Brothers of the Muslim faith or Arabic ethnicity all around the world who are unfairly being verbally threatened and in some cases physically beaten. May God shine a protective light on them and turn to love all the hatred that is being directed towards them.
I humbly continue with my dedication to bring the message of PEACE to everyone, particularly children, and I take this time to thank and honor all of you who are working for peace in the world today,
Infinite blessings and May Peace Prevail on Earth,
Masankho and Johanna
What I'm saying to you this morning is that communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the thesis of communism nor the antithesis
of capitalism but in a higher synthesis. It is found in a higher synthesis that combines the truths of both. Now, when I say question the whole society, it means ultimately coming to see that the problem of racism, the problem of economic exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. These are the triple evils that are interrelated.
Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
Let us realize that William Cullen Bryant is right: 'Truth crushed to earth will rise again.' Let us go out realizing that the Bible is right: 'Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' This is for hope for the future, and with this faith we will be able to sing in some not too distant tomorrow with a cosmic past tense, 'We have
overcome, we have overcome, deep in my heart, I did believe we would overcome."
End of speech excerpts.
Thirty four years later Dr. King's words still ring true. From everything I have read and know about Dr. King, I believe he would give this very same speech today. I pray that Dr. King's words or at least the sentiments expressed will reach the White House and the Chambers of both Houses of Congress before rash decisions are made.
One prayer I must not forget, a very important one, easy to overlook. Let us pray for our Sisters and Brothers of the Muslim faith or Arabic ethnicity all around the world who are unfairly being verbally threatened and in some cases physically beaten. May God shine a protective light on them and turn to love all the hatred that is being directed towards them.
I humbly continue with my dedication to bring the message of PEACE to everyone, particularly children, and I take this time to thank and honor all of you who are working for peace in the world today,
Infinite blessings and May Peace Prevail on Earth,
Masankho and Johanna
--
Kenoli Oleari, Horizons of Change, http://www.horizonsofchange.com
1801 Fairview Street, Berkeley, CA 94703 Voice Phone: 510-601-8217,
Fax: 510-595-8369, Email: [email protected] (or click on: mailto://[email protected])
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Kenoli Oleari, Horizons of Change, http://www.horizonsofchange.com
1801 Fairview Street, Berkeley, CA 94703 Voice Phone: 510-601-8217,
Fax: 510-595-8369, Email: [email protected] (or click on: mailto://[email protected])
