The Piece in Us All

Post by Tara Steinberg

 
Soldiers visit Durani, dismantle old tank [Image 2 of 4]

This world is full of violence. Violence is in our homes, schools, streets, neighborhoods, and on our television.  Violence is in our thoughts and our dreams. In any given moment, somewhere in the world, someone is committing a violent crime or dying from one. In some places, individuals are being forced to fight in violent wars – whether or not they really understand or agree with what they are fighting for. Yet everyday, they will pick up their weapon and they will carry it with the intention of doing harm to another human being. How can we stop this violence that swirls and perpetuates itself all around us?

One way we can end violence is by standing within it and recognizing the Peace that exists within everyone.

The Quakers refer to it as addressing “that of God in everyone”. Others may simply call it love. Some may refer to it as ‘worth’, ‘value’, ‘purpose’, or ‘sacredness’. Some may call it, ‘light.’ You can choose whatever word that you find the most comfortable with your beliefs; whatever word you find that best describes the inner core, the inner and equal piece of the universe that exists within every single human being. Recognizing the inner piece, the inner God, worth, sacredness, light, or Peace that exists in every person is the first step towards living and breathing a society that perpetuates Peace and non-violence: non-violence between our individual lives and therefore, non-violence as a means for social change.  As all conflict starts between individuals, it is there, within individual understanding that the answer to a more peaceful world lies.  So achieving peace and non-violence is a two-step process: once we achieve it in our individual lives, then social change will naturally follow.

Collective identities and former allegiances aside, human to human, we are in this world together. Harm to one is harm to all. We can acknowledge this by me recognizing the Peace in you, and you recognizing the Peace in me.

Recognizing the Peace of the universe that exists in everyone can be simple. Try it. Try it with your family. Try it with the person you buy your coffee or newspaper from every morning. Try it with your taxi driver. Try it with your boss. Try it with yourself. See how “seeing the peace of the universe in everyone” affects you.

If every person was able truly to look at every other person and recognize her as the individual she is, no different, worse, or better than herself – then how could one human voluntarily harm another? If every person was able to look at every other person and recognize that each is sacred and both are equally part of something greater – then how could there ever be war?

If a soldier looks across the battlefield he will see another soldier. If he is able to realize that the only thing standing between him and that other soldier is an equal sign, then he just might, in that moment, decide to drop his weapon.

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4 Responses to “The Piece in Us All”

  1. Donna says:

    Thank You Tara for demonstrating a way to connect to a piece of peace! A great example to apply in daily life & to start expecting peace to follow in our world!

  2. STAN ECKERT says:

    DEAR TARA,
    MY NAME IS STAN AND I WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF YOUR DAD’S FROM OUR U. CITY H.S. DAYS AND EVER SINCE. ALTHOUGH I HAVE ONLY SEEN PHIL AT OUR H.S. REUNIONS, FROM MY BEING ON “THE PATH” FOR A LONG TIME(WE KNOW THERE ACTUALLY IS “NO-TIME”) THAT I FEEL YOUR DAD AS THE DEAREST OF FRIENDS! WHICH OF COURSE WE ALL ARE NOT THE “OTHERS”, BUT ACTUALLY THE “ONE”, WE JUST DON’T “KNOW” IT YET, ALTHOUGH MANY BELIEVE IT WITH THEIR ‘EGO/MIND”. SO DEEP “WITH-IN”,AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL TRULY “ONENESS, LOVE, UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRIT, EVEN G-D! BY THE WAY, IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY READ ANY OF HIS WRITINGS/REALIZATIONS, JOEL GOLDSMITH’S BOOKS “THE INFINITE WAY” AND AND “THUNDER OF SILENCE”, SPEAK TO ME WITH THE MOST “ESSENCE” OF IT ALL, AS I VIEW IT. THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY HAD THE “MOST” PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME. OF COURSE, OTHERS(THERE ACTUALLY ARE NO OTHERS) MAY EACH VIEW EACH “SPIRITUALIST’S” WRITINGS DIFFERENTLY! BOY AM I “DEEP” OR WHAT? HAHA! PHIL SUGGESTED I CHECK OUT YOUR WRITINGS. AND I MEAN THIS, FOR SUCH A YOUNG LADY, THE DEPTH OF YOUR SOUL WHICH YOU HAVE EMERGING FROM YOUR “SPIRIT WITH-IN” IS OVERWHELMING TO ME. IF ONLY I COULD HAVE BEEN AWARE TO DRAW UPON MINE BACK IN THE YEARS WHEN I FIRST MET YOUR DAD! PLEASE, “ANY” THING THAT YOU WRITE, WHETHER IT’S PUBLISHED AS WITH THIS ARTICLE, OR SOMETHING YOU KEEP FOR YOURSELF, I WOULD BE HONORED TO BE ALLOWED TO READ IT. YOU CAN E-MAIL ME(STANECKERT@HOTMAIL.COM, SEND A MESSAGE ON F/B AND I’LL SEND YOU MY ADDRESS/CELL #. I HOPE TO MEET YOU SOMEDAY. AND I SEND YOU ALL “MY/THE ONE LOVE”, STAN P.S. I HOPE YOU ACTUALLY GET TO SEE/READ MY LONG NOTE TO YOU!

  3. Phil says:

    Beautiful words Tara and so true! I especially like the picture at the top.
    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if soldiers were employed as true non-violent peace keepers/mediators. I do believe the day is coming when this will happen and a new age of brotherhood will be at hand. Unfortunately, we may have very rough times to go through before we get there; but, for those who keep the faith & try their best to be of service in love, the rewards will be great.

  4. Anonymous says:

    I miss hearing this kind of idealistic, yet realistic, looks at life.

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