Blog Action Day: The poverty of peace

October 14th is a significant anniversary. On this date, the Peace Corps was proposed by then-Senator John F. Kennedy. On Tuesday, the Peace Corps will be 48 years old. In its time, the Peace Corps has sent nearly 200,000 volunteers around the world to fulfill its three-point mission:

• To help the people of interested countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained workers
• To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served
• To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans

When the program was first proposed in 1957 by Hubert Humphrey, legislators on both sides of the aisle dismissed the program as a place for draft dodgers. Then came the famous Kennedy speech at the University of Michigan. “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Blog Catalogue’s annual blogosphere event this year asks us bloggers to focus on poverty. The Oxford English Dictionary says the word poverty comes from the word poor. Personally, I think the lack of peace on this planet makes us poor.

A true peace on earth would create all kinds of abundant poverty. Consider these options.

There would be no wars or armed conflicts of any kind.

There would be no weapons arsenals or stockpiles.

There would be no fear amongst humans, or other species.

There would be no distribution of resources problems.

There would be no need for the Peace Corps.

A lack of peace has created all sorts of poverty in our world. Isn’t it time we opened our hearts and minds to establishment of peace on earth? Think of the abundance we could celebrate!

P.S. If you are inclined to despair at the poverty of peace on Earth, remember the wise words of Thomas Merton, “If you yourself are at peace, then there is at least some peace in the world.”

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