No peace? Know peace

U. S. President John F. Kennedy called Dag Hammarskjöld “the greatest statesman of our century.” Mr. Hammarskjöld was the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. Not only was he a Swedish diplomat, but he was also a Christian mystic. His diary, Markings, is a wonderful taste of one man’s spiritual journey.

I don’t know where I read this quote attributed to him, but I believe it with every cell of my being.

“Unless there is a spiritual renaissance, this world will know no peace.”

The way he’s said it, the statement is a warning. But look at the worldwide evidence. There is a spiritual renaissance—maybe not of the exact kind all of us want to see, but sometimes we have to create what we don’t want before we can figure out what we do want.

In the U. S., Christian megachurches with their tens of thousands of members are still experiencing exponential growth. Muslim fanatics seem to be behind much of the terrorist planning in this world. Mystical churches are experiencing a renaissance. Witches and pagans are speaking up. Everyone I meet lately is following some spiritual path or another!

I think the reason is that on a very deep level we who belong to the human race know that there must be change, change now, and that the fastest way to get to the changes we need is to change ourselves. In fact, it’s the only way to make real change.

Allow me to paraphrase Mr. Hammarskjöld in the cause of peace . . .

“Because there is a spiritual renaissance, this world will know peace.”

I don’t pretend that I know where all the changes will take us, but I do know that a spiritual renaissance is arising in the service of peace whether all those participating in the renaissance agree with me or not.

Be patient, beloved one! Everyone is picking up their spiritual journeys where they left off. For some that means going back to their old faith traditions. For others this means throwing out their old faith traditions. For others it means living in materialism. Ours is not to judge. It is simply to do our own spiritual work quietly, consistently, in the service of peace.

Just like Secretary-General Hammarskjöld.

Visit Susan Corso’s spiritual blog or subscribe to Seeds at www.seedsforsanctuary.com.