[IMC-Editorial] (no subject)

[JVANA2000 at aol.com]

Dear Friends in Peace: Following are some thoughts we had when the question 
was raised about Where Do We Go From Here in the Peace Movement?. We welcome 
any responses and please pass this along to anyone you think may benefit from 
it. Thanks. Jean and Tom.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

There are many directions the peace movement can go from here. For example we 
can continue to expose the war machine through education and action, work on 
getting us out of the middle east so the people can be free to run their own 
lives, work on eliminating ALL weapons of mass destruction in the world, 
support UN efforts to find peaceful resolutions to conflicts, support world 
relief organizations, stress the importance of respecting diversity in human 
cultures and religions, and promote simpler lifestyles. I am confident we 
will come up with many constructive and creative ways to help build a better 
world.
With positive ideals such as these in mind, we would like to present an 
overall view of where we have been, where we are now and our potential for 
the future. 
We are currently the most powerful material country in the world. But we are 
functioning from a fear perspective, especially since 911. Groups in the 
past, including the U.S., have tried to conquer other people and places out 
of fear, but it is never permanently successful, and what our country is 
doing now is no different. 
Our country is attacking others out of fear that there is not enough, 
(whether it be resources, things, security, or whatever), reflected in greed 
and a need to dominate other cultures and religions. We also have the fear 
that others will harm us if we don't attack first, which is expressed in 
feelings of superiority and judgment. 
But there is no end to fear using fear tactics, and no way to win by using 
fear, because it only perpetuates itself. It is contracting, (which is 
limiting), stagnant, (which retards growth), exclusive (an us against them 
mentality),and feeds on darkness, (which is ignorance). 
 We are at the lowest point of human awareness when we resort to war to get 
what we want. The only way is up from here.
And the way up is to confront fear with Love. 
We have the power to change our country from being the most militaristically 
powerful nation in the world, which is fear based, to being the spiritual 
leader of the world, which is Love based. 
We humans are responsible for our society and its current condition because 
we create our circumstances as we evolve. Therefore, we can also change what 
we feel is unhealthy, self-destructive, and fear motivated. Those who live in 
fear are just ignorant that there is only Love, so by example and outreach 
Love can overcome fear. 
As we shift directions in the peace movement individually and collectively, 
we can chose to stay focused in Love which is expansion, (meaning it 
spreads), evolution, (it takes us to higher levels), inclusive (which 
encompasses all the world), and lightness, (which is wisdom and 
understanding). From this perspective we can create a Loving society from 
within which will thrive and grow on peace, oneness, compassion, forgiveness, 
giving, and tolerance for differences and diversity within the unity.
Every time we open to the power of Love and take a Loving action we overcome 
fear, which is ultimatately the permanent way to evolve beyond a fear based 
world into a Love based world.  We have the power to end war, greed, hatred 
and other fearful habits forever and truly bring Peace on Earth. 

(Personal note: If you want to learn more about dealing with world relations 
using Love, read Conversations With God, Book II, by Neale Donald Walsch).