Feb 10, 2012 Gaining Clarity on the Path to Peace
Joseph Oltmann, Trac5 Executive Director
“Tonight I want to speak to you of peace… For years, representatives of our Governments and others have traveled the world seeking to find a basis for peace talks.”[Lyndon B Johnson]
“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. And however undramatic the pursuit of peace, the pursuit must go on.” [John F Kennedy]
“In the long term we can hope that religion will change the nature of man and reduce conflict. But history is not encouraging in this respect. The bloodiest wars in history have been religious wars. Let us build a structure of peace in the world in which the weak are as safe as the strong — in which each respects the right of the other to live by a different system — in which those who would influence others will do so by the strength of their ideas, and not by the force of their arms. Let us accept that high responsibility not as a burden, but gladly — gladly because the chance to build such a peace is the noblest endeavor in which a nation can engage.” [Richard Nixon]
“In order for us human beings to commit ourselves personally to the inhumanity of war, we find it necessary first to dehumanize our opponents, which is in itself a violation of the beliefs of all religions. Once we characterize our adversaries as beyond the scope of God's mercy and grace, their lives lose all value. We deny personal responsibility when we plant landmines and, days or years later, a stranger to us — often a child – is crippled or killed. From a great distance, we launch bombs or missiles with almost total impunity, and never want to know the number or identity of the victims.” [Jimmy Carter]
”Don't be afraid to see what you see.” [Ronald Reagan]
“Every new day begins with possibilities. It's up to us to fill it with the things that move us toward progress and peace.” [Ronald Reagan] “There is a God and He is good, and his love, while free, has a self imposed cost: We must be good to one another.” [George H.W. Bush]
Last week, I attended the National Prayer Breakfast. I had the opportunity to meet with many leaders, to discuss the strategy of Trac5 and the importance of working towards peace and reconciliation using a spiritual track of engagement. A strategy centered on forgiveness, prayer, and friendship.
When I came back, I could not help but want to share this week with all of you. Some of what I write may seem controversial or critical of a political party or our government. Actually, it is neither. The preface was taken from several presidents over the last five decades, including both Republicans and Democrats. I scoured the internet looking for speeches by our presidents, using key words such as “peace”, “reconciliation”, “forgiveness”, and another key word that you would think would be present often, “God”. It however, was not so common, and as the years progressed, it became more absent from our nation’s leaders collective voice. However, if you read those quotes together, it would seem as if we have a spirit of compassion and understanding for others. An acceptance of other faiths, nations, and cultures. You would think we collectively have a desire and ability, Republican or Democrat, Muslim, Christian, or Jew to seek and find peace. How could we be so far from peace, if we desire it? How could we find so many ways to find conflict, if we long for peace? How can we be good to one another, if we cannot find it in our hearts to forgive each other, and find a common ground in spirituality and faith?
At the prayer breakfast I heard many speakers talk of the bridges of Jesus, Isa al-Masih, Jesus the Messiah, and how he is the answer to the conflict that exists between us. I listened as Christians talked of loving Muslims and Jews, Muslims talked of honoring Christians and Jews, and Jews talked of the Love of God. Then the prayer breakfast was over, and all that talk, computed to a great experience where we dream of what could be. Many will take the experience home with them and speak of the remarkable people they encountered. Many will smile, laugh and sometimes cry, at the immense spirit that is present at the event. Some will continue their work in building bridges between cultures and religions. Others will return to the business of running their country or leading their people, or just back to their personal business. Congressmen will get back to public politics, and as if to shake off an opportunity to truly change, things will return to an established norm that does not include change or reconciliation.
Why would we work so hard to find solutions, yet fall so short on reconciling? How can we be together and talk so eloquently about peace, but fail to reach those that need the message the most? I wrote an email to our team when I returned in response to the question of progress, or lack thereof. Here is an excerpt from it:
“Tonight I want to speak to you of peace… For years, representatives of our Governments and others have traveled the world seeking to find a basis for peace talks.”[Lyndon B Johnson] “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. And however undramatic the pursuit of peace, the pursuit must go on.” [John F Kennedy]
“In the long term we can hope that religion will change the nature of man and reduce conflict. But history is not encouraging in this respect. The bloodiest wars in history have been religious wars. Let us build a structure of peace in the world in which the weak are as safe as the strong — in which each respects the right of the other to live by a different system — in which those who would influence others will do so by the strength of their ideas, and not by the force of their arms. Let us accept that high responsibility not as a burden, but gladly — gladly because the chance to build such a peace is the noblest endeavor in which a nation can engage.” [Richard Nixon]
“In order for us human beings to commit ourselves personally to the inhumanity of war, we find it necessary first to dehumanize our opponents, which is in itself a violation of the beliefs of all religions. Once we characterize our adversaries as beyond the scope of God's mercy and grace, their lives lose all value. We deny personal responsibility when we plant landmines and, days or years later, a stranger to us — often a child – is crippled or killed. From a great distance, we launch bombs or missiles with almost total impunity, and never want to know the number or identity of the victims.” [Jimmy Carter]
”Don't be afraid to see what you see.” [Ronald Reagan]
“Every new day begins with possibilities. It's up to us to fill it with the things that move us toward progress and peace.” [Ronald Reagan] “There is a God and He is good, and his love, while free, has a self imposed cost: We must be good to one another.” [George H.W. Bush]
Last week, I attended the National Prayer Breakfast. I had the opportunity to meet with many leaders, to discuss the strategy of Trac5 and the importance of working towards peace and reconciliation using a spiritual track of engagement. A strategy centered on forgiveness, prayer, and friendship.
When I came back, I could not help but want to share this week with all of you. Some of what I write may seem controversial or critical of a political party or our government. Actually, it is neither. The preface was taken from several presidents over the last five decades, including both Republicans and Democrats. I scoured the internet looking for speeches by our presidents, using key words such as “peace”, “reconciliation”, “forgiveness”, and another key word that you would think would be present often, “God”. It however, was not so common, and as the years progressed, it became more absent from our nation’s leaders collective voice. However, if you read those quotes together, it would seem as if we have a spirit of compassion and understanding for others. An acceptance of other faiths, nations, and cultures. You would think we collectively have a desire and ability, Republican or Democrat, Muslim, Christian, or Jew to seek and find peace. How could we be so far from peace, if we desire it? How could we find so many ways to find conflict, if we long for peace? How can we be good to one another, if we cannot find it in our hearts to forgive each other, and find a common ground in spirituality and faith?
At the prayer breakfast I heard many speakers talk of the bridges of Jesus, Isa al-Masih, Jesus the Messiah, and how he is the answer to the conflict that exists between us. I listened as Christians talked of loving Muslims and Jews, Muslims talked of honoring Christians and Jews, and Jews talked of the Love of God. Then the prayer breakfast was over, and all that talk, computed to a great experience where we dream of what could be. Many will take the experience home with them and speak of the remarkable people they encountered. Many will smile, laugh and sometimes cry, at the immense spirit that is present at the event. Some will continue their work in building bridges between cultures and religions. Others will return to the business of running their country or leading their people, or just back to their personal business. Congressmen will get back to public politics, and as if to shake off an opportunity to truly change, things will return to an established norm that does not include change or reconciliation.
Why would we work so hard to find solutions, yet fall so short on reconciling? How can we be together and talk so eloquently about peace, but fail to reach those that need the message the most? I wrote an email to our team when I returned in response to the question of progress, or lack thereof. Here is an excerpt from it:
“The issue is in IMPLEMENTATION. Everyone knows what he or she wants the picture to look like but no one knows how to get there. We use maps to get down the road in our cars, when we are traveling to unfamiliar locations. The maps are not written instructions, they are visual and auditory. Yet in the process of mapping out reconciliation, we write papers and we discuss the possibilities, allowing our imaginations to picture what we see as peace, individually. We have no idea where the land mines are located, where the risks to implementation lie, and when progress is made, who or what may oppose the very thing we are trying to accomplish. Reconciliation, by itself has become a term of philosophical interpretation. A term used in circles of education, yet rarely driven to the point of execution. Mostly because of the lack of experience in executing on a given strategy or plan.
I had some very good conversations this week. One of which was meeting with the Ambassador of [redacted]. The information that he shared was daunting, yet based on the political landscape was not shocking. The shock came when he was asked what he was doing about it. The Ambassador of [redacted], asked us how he can get someone in the US government to listen. Wait… he is the Ambassador! Shouldn’t the Ambassador to the US have the ability and the relationships necessary to seek foreign policy counsel within the US government? They recognize the problem, and yet they have no idea how to solve it, and no idea who could facilitate the necessary pathway to communicate the problem.
The issue is not the seemingly simple solution itself, which in this case is reconciliation. The issue lies in the implementation of viable solutions. Mark was very successful in implementing a solution in the drafting of a UN resolution that led to the deployment of over 20K peacekeeping forces in Darfur. But it took a team, not relegated to the restraints our government puts on its people, to find, and IMPLEMENT a solution. The result was nothing short of spectacular, but the consequences exposed risks that no one would have foreseen, because the risks were not identified and the map not built to avoid the land mines or risks that could be present.
I truly believe that the only way we can achieve peace and find true reconciliation is to do just that. Implement solutions, use the education of others, and combine this with the skill-sets of those who know how to build maps out of the data collected and articulated in circles of education. Doing… not talking, dialog, or even philosophically written papers or speeches that bloom like a flower in words, but when planted, starve for the food needed to cultivate and grow.”
Trac5 has worked in places that traditional tracks of peace have failed. Trac5 is about implementing spiritual tracks of forgiveness, prayer, and friendship. It takes more strength than any military force, because it only can work if you are willing to be vulnerable and risk it all to love others, even if they may be considered your enemy. Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him your friend.” He was a man that turned against the “establishment of Christianity” and towards what the Bible reiterated, over and over again: Forgiveness, loving your neighbor, and reconciliation- the necessary component to peace.
Can you do that? Can you love someone who has hurt you? Can you love your neighbor, unconditionally? Can you pray with those who others say are beyond saving? Can you leave the politics and religion at the door and just let God use you to bring others closer to him? Can you not just tolerate others, rather can you accept others?
Doing… It is really hard. In a world where God is everywhere, but where we believe we can do it without Him. It does not matter if you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or Buddhist. The consequences of not doing is all around you. How does it look?
So what I learned at the prayer breakfast is we want peace, but we are unwilling to be vulnerable. If you want peace and reconciliation, then push aside your misconceptions of each other’s faith, race, or culture. Love your neighbor, serve as a true example, and forgive. In closing, forgive me, if these words are too harsh. Forgive me, for the invulnerabilities I still carry in my own heart.
Trac5 is a real track to peace. It is a real, tangible and proven strategy that leads to peace and reconciliation. Trac5 is a noun, not an adjective. It is a vehicle, not a thought or idea. Trac5 will supernaturally change you, not just change your enemy or adversary. The only risk is that you may find yourself loving too much, accepting others, and removing the enmity in your heart for others. Trac5 starts with you, not them. Wow, now that may be just the change we were looking for. No matter what the politicians or establishment do, it may lead to the transformation we are all longing for.
Can you do that? Can you love someone who has hurt you? Can you love your neighbor, unconditionally? Can you pray with those who others say are beyond saving? Can you leave the politics and religion at the door and just let God use you to bring others closer to him? Can you not just tolerate others, rather can you accept others?
Doing… It is really hard. In a world where God is everywhere, but where we believe we can do it without Him. It does not matter if you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or Buddhist. The consequences of not doing is all around you. How does it look?
So what I learned at the prayer breakfast is we want peace, but we are unwilling to be vulnerable. If you want peace and reconciliation, then push aside your misconceptions of each other’s faith, race, or culture. Love your neighbor, serve as a true example, and forgive. In closing, forgive me, if these words are too harsh. Forgive me, for the invulnerabilities I still carry in my own heart.
Trac5 is a real track to peace. It is a real, tangible and proven strategy that leads to peace and reconciliation. Trac5 is a noun, not an adjective. It is a vehicle, not a thought or idea. Trac5 will supernaturally change you, not just change your enemy or adversary. The only risk is that you may find yourself loving too much, accepting others, and removing the enmity in your heart for others. Trac5 starts with you, not them. Wow, now that may be just the change we were looking for. No matter what the politicians or establishment do, it may lead to the transformation we are all longing for.
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Feb 16, 2012 The Name of Jesus at National Prayer Breakfast |
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Feb 10, 2012 Gaining Clarity on the Path to Peace |
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Dec 23, 2011 MAS-ICNA Convention 2011 |
 
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