Peace
PEACE
Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB
The
world that we live in today is filled with so many things. Life has become more
complex. Gone are those days where people were content with the little that
they had. Society today has become one big rat-race where each individual is
vying with the other in attaining or acquiring money or wealth. And yet in the
midst of all this, there are many who are looking for peace. This is because
deep down within each individual, no matter how much of wealth a person may
acquire, there is a void that needs to be filled. So this therefore brings me
to the question, “What is true genuine
peace?”
I
have, in a way, laid stress by using the words, “true” and “genuine” because
there are many who equate peace with having money, a beautiful house, maybe
certain benefits at one’s work place and so on. Yet, perhaps this would all
suffice to give one a true and genuine understanding of what peace is about. Peace,
in its true sense, comes from God. It is something that surpasses all human
understanding.
This
therefore brings me to another question, “How
does one experience true, genuine peace?” In the first place, we should
understand that true and genuine peace does not consist in acquiring any
material wealth. It is based on joy and happiness. This, of course, does not
undermine the fact that we should not have recourse to any material wealth. We need
food, shelter and clothing. We cannot live only on love and fresh air. Besides,
to think of such a thing would be madness! However, what is important is that
it should be done in moderation. If we were to get overtly pre-occupied with
material things, it blinds us to what is true and genuinely good. And why is it
so? To answer that, we should realize that whatever we see is what
characterizes our world view and the more we see, that becomes our dominant
thought. It is in our thoughts and perceptions that contribute to our desires.
I
would like to conclude this short reflection with a short analogy. In each of
us there is a good and bad wolf. The wolf that is fed more becomes strong. So
it is up to us to which wolf we feed? If we are going to fill our minds with
junk, we will get junk. If we are going to fill our minds with what is good,
then we will get what is good. The more we are in contact with what we have and
are not too pre-occupied with accumulating too much of material wealth, God in
His goodness will certainly grant us that peace which surpasses all human
understanding.