Peace
Advices
Friends oppose all war as inconsistent with God’s will. As every person is a child of God, we recognize God’s Light also in our adversaries. Violence and injustice deny this reality and violate the teachings of Jesus and other prophets.
Friends challenge their governments and take personal risks in the cause of peace. We urge one another to refuse to participate in war as soldiers, or as arms manufacturers. We seek ways to support those who refrain from paying taxes that support war. We work to end violence within our own borders, our homes, our streets, and our communities. We support international order, justice, and understanding.
Become an instrument of peace. At every opportunity, be peacemakers in your homes, workplaces and communities. Steep yourself in the power of the universal Spirit. Examine your actions for the seeds of violence, degradation and destructiveness. Overcome the emotions that lie at the root of violence and nurture instead a spirit of reconciliation and love. Come to know the oneness of all creation and oppose the destruction of the natural world.
Queries
- Do I live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars?
- How do I nourish peace within myself as I work for peace in the world?
- Where there is distrust, injustice, or hatred, how am I an instrument of reconciliation and love?
- What are we doing to remove the causes of war and destructions of the planet, and to bring about lasting peace?
- Do we reach out to all parties in a conflict with courage and love?
*from PACIFIC YEARLY MEETING FAITH AND PRACTICE (2001), 57-58