We all have to give something!

Sometimes we find answers to some of life’s important questions in the most unexpected places. Attending prison ministry brought me face to face with several bearers of peace and hope. These messengers of love just happen to live behind locked iron doors. 

Before he laid down his life for the salvation of the world, Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27) Jesus is clear about how to live a happy life and yet somehow humankind continues to mess it up. Just recently I watched with horror as anti-semitic demonstrators burned several American flags and defaced historic monuments. It is one thing to use the freedoms of this great nation to peacefully demonstrate, yet quite another to destroy the symbol of our liberty for which countless men and women have laid down their lives. These cowardly acts of violence created chaos and division in our capital.

Isn’t it time to be held accountable for the words we use and the actions we take? No matter our political persuasion, we should aim for peaceful encounters instead of divisive entanglements with those whom we disagree with. Our nation demands purposeful involvement in order to make it a place of peace for all people. Even Pope Francis agrees with this sentiment when he said, “Politics, according to the Social Doctrine of the Church, is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good. I cannot wash my hands, eh? We all have to give something!” 

We must also remind our young people that, “We are not enemies, but friends.” Abraham Lincoln said these wise words in his 1861 inaugural address. When we listen to our fellow man/woman with humility and an authentic intent to understand his/her viewpoint we can make progress toward a common good. We may not change each other’s mind but we will make strides toward respectful information sharing and a bipartisan resolution which benefits the issue at hand. After all, violence is never the answer to a political disagreement – good civil engagement is the path set before us but unfortunately not often seen.

Some folks who do practice positive civil engagement within their community include the incarcerated women with whom I regularly meet. Recently, one commented during a prayer circle, “I pray for our divided country and its leaders. May there be peace in the United States.” Another noted how grateful she is for her life and how she does not take it for granted. She serves as a messenger of hope within her small group. Finally, I heard a woman offer the following comment at the close of a recent program, “I praise God when it’s not going so well, when there is no peace around this place. I find that praising him when things are tough makes all the difference because eventually things get better. I can help make it better and God is always listening.” 

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us that our highest calling is to love God and one another. Love leads to peace. The incarcerated women I know seem to live this truth authentically. Perhaps it’s because their lives have not been easy and they’ve had to learn how to love the hard way. They choose love each day with a conscience mind and heart. Do we? I think that we can learn a lot from them as there is so much to do in this nation for peace to prevail as the order of the day. “We all have to give something!”