PEACE ON EARTH
Beginning With Me
By Ellen M. McCauley
How many
times have you said to yourself, “Nothing I do will affect peace on earth; it’s
up to the politicians and world leaders, I have no power, I’m just one Jane/John
Doe in Smalltown, USA.”
I believe we underestimate the power of words;
just plain words. How many
misunderstandings, fights, or wars have started over words?
As so often
in life, the secret is so simple. We can
start on Christmas, the day that celebrates the birth of Jesus and we can all promise to do the following:
1. I
will never call anyone a name. I will
recall how I felt when someone called me one.
2. I
will abolish certain words from my vocabulary; retard, brain-dead, fat, stupid,
ugly, gay, etc. etc. etc.
3. If
I hear someone using those words I will GO OUT OF MY WAY to nicely correct them
i.e. “My sister is mentally handicapped and it hurts me to hear the word
retard.” They may laugh at me but they
will remember.
4. I
will never use a racial slur. If I hear
someone use one, I will GO OUT OF MY WAY to nicely correct them (unless I fear
the person may cause me bodily harm) i.e.
“It hurts me to hear that kind of racial insensitivity.” They may ignore me but they will remember.
5. I
will not spread gossip. I will imagine
that people are talking about me behind my back, each time I am tempted to
gossip.
6. I
will not tell a lie to hurt another. I
will think about a lie that hurt me.
7. I
will think before I talk. A novel
concept but I will try it.
8. Each
day, I will say one nice thing to someone who looks like they need a kind word;
even it’s just, “Hello”.
9. I
will love God first, then myself, then everyone else.
10. I will use
my words to pray, unceasingly to ask God to help me in my efforts, and others
in theirs, and for the politicians and world leaders who need all the prayers
they can get.
“Let there be Peace on Earth, and Let it begin with me”.
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