There’s a song I like called “Let There Be Peace on Earth” by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller. Its message is simple: that each of us has an individual responsibility to work toward peace within ourselves so there can be peace in the world. The song speaks deeply and directly to our yearning to live in peace and serenity.

But is this actually possible? Is it practical? I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. Daily TV news reports and newspaper headlines imply that peace is simply not achievable. The reasons are legion: religious differences, centuries-old hatreds, envy between peoples and nations, aggression, greed. The list goes on and on.

In spite of the daily evidence of discord and strife, however, the message of that song of peace still resonates with me on a deep level. I’ve wondered why humanity continues to yearn for something that seems impossible to attain.

Whenever I don’t understand something, I turn to the Bible for guidance. I’ve found over and over that its spiritual message is practical and comforting.

The Scriptures contain lots of inspiring and helpful ideas about peace. What I’ve discovered in my Bible study is that we continue to seek peace, and pray for it, because it is a fundamental part of what the Almighty has created. God’s spiritual creation—including you, me, and the universe—is filled with peace, and peace alone.

This universe differs greatly from the one that’s documented in the news. Yet each of us recognizes that peace, not war, is natural to us. The challenge is in how we gain the feeling of peace we’re meant to have.

I’ve learned that understanding more about our spiritual nature—what God created—will bring more harmony into our lives.

For instance, the Bible asks us, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?” As the parent of three very different young adults, I find this concept especially meaningful. Each of my children has wonderful gifts and holds a special place in my heart. I love and cherish them equally. They don’t have to fight for my love.

At the same time, I’ve always worked to provide for each child’s unique needs. Likewise, God, the Almighty Parent, must have a special place in His plan for every idea He has created.

If God is omnipotent and infinite, no individual in His creation can be left out or marginalized in this plan. All are cherished. All are protected. All are provided for. How can we be fragmented, divided, or at war with one another if we all come from the same source, and that source is good?

By letting these truths work in my own life, I've found my thoughts changing for the better, and this spills over into my relationships and interactions with others. My family, coworkers, fellow church members, and neighbors provide opportunities for me to start living a life of peace.

Actually, maintaining peace in all these circles can keep one's plate pretty full. It takes humility and willingness to let God, Love, guide us, and not always insist on our own way of doing things.

Over the past few years, part of my job has been to share new ideas and to encourage others to look at things in a new way. When I began to do this, the initial response was less than enthusiastic. After some particularly unpleasant exchanges with co-workers, I began to pray to know that because we all have one Father, we all have the same source and Mind.

As I prayed consistently along these lines, gaining a better understanding of these spiritual truths, gradual changes took place that brought about a better sense of camaraderie and a more effective working relationship.

I became less likely to respond defensively to criticism, even though I was sometimes sorely tempted to do so. I learned to be more patient and I worked harder to understand other points of view. I also discovered how to be firm without being contentious when it was appropriate. A much greater sense of peace and harmony took hold and progress was made.

Anger, self-righteousness, and fear have no place in Mind's harmonious expression of itself, and we each are that very expression. We are meant to live and work in unity with one another—and we really can do this. While we may have different ideas or opinions, God's law of harmony governs us all, and our ultimate goal is peace in our dealings with each other.

Our individual expression of God is not in conflict with that of His other children. God, Mind, speaks to every one of us. It’s natural for us to listen to His voice and allow it to guide our actions.

Mary Baker Eddy prayed and wrote extensively about peace. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she said, "Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale." What a practical thought! To think and act in a peaceful manner brings peace to our individual experience and supports the peaceful endeavors of those around us.

Each of us can become an "influence for good," no matter where we are or what our life experience is. Like the effects of a rock thrown into water, the circles of peace extend much farther than their starting point. If we all throw our efforts into the "right scale," we will tip the balance for the world.

Influence for good:

Science and Health
192:21-23

 
King James Bible
Mal. 2:10