Buying Peace

How much does peace cost?

All over the world, most people would wish for the Ms. Universe answer: "World Peace", especially now that AP, CNN, BBC, Fox, Al Jazeera and other news bureaus are stuffed with conflict news, wars, hostilities and dissensions worldwide.

Everyday, we encounter news of crimes and delinquencies that shake our supposedly quiet day. But these usually don't go with us during bedtime. What goes with us before we go to sleep are the ones we deal with that involves people we dislike (or for some, hate).

Nine times out of ten, we are disturbed by people-conflicts. We argue with ourselves, and justify why we are not the ones at fault. We ask other people's opinion if we really are to be blamed for the silent or blazoned feud. The feeling of a suffocating atmosphere may disturb us relentlessly whenever we remember them or we encounter them, and these would possibly lead to sleepless nights or small, episodic "heart attacks".

Through Bro.Daniel, i learned that it's important "to buy peace". An act that will pacify whatever looming or occurring "war" there is, despite it being unsettling for you. Just so you'd clear your conscience off murky waters, you decide to raise the white flag and call it "truce". You come to terms with yourself and allow peace to reign. Forgiving the person for whatever they did or did not do is the first step to buying peace. Next is showing some sign of truce. For starters, it could be a smile, a hello, a compliment, a quick chat, a meal you yourself cooked, or a book or a copy of a movie you heard they like, or a helping hand during distressing times.

Buying peace may seem to cost us a lot. While we feel disgruntled during deliberation, we are fettered by thoughts like: the difficulty in swallowing our prides, the exasperation over us being the first to bow low even though we know we're not at fault, and for looking pathetic because this will lead them to think they were right and we were wrong.

But this "buying peace" thing pays off well too. Our conscience won't have to nudge us every now and then, and we realize how we can actually humble ourselves, even to people who are so full of themselves, even to people who think we're bad.

"To buy peace", i learned, is a preliminary act towards "turning the other cheek". If i can't do this, how can i follow Christ's teachings completely?

The knowledge that God will be happy for the act of humility you show is one of the best rewards there is.

I'd been given an opportunity to buy peace, thank God. Although it's not much, I felt that i have done enough. I don't remember being in a dispute against the person, nor do i remember ever doing something wrong (because we never had a very close encounter), but it felt like the person seemed to have been affected by my presence and that atmosphere around this person feels constricted whenever i'm around. It's just so wrong, it felt so wrong and i used to wonder why there's this kind of feeling. There was an air of awkwardness (especially on the other person's part) whenever our eyes meet or we bump into each other. I may never know why but i don't think i care. I didn't like the feeling and so i decided i should do something about it. Thus, i used Bro.Daniel's advice, and bought peace.

I just want a conscience void of anything that will lead to indifference or worse, hatred. Christ's return is almost at hand, i cannot allow myself to be caught "unprepared".

So how much do you think peace costs? Can you buy it for yourself too? Or would you rather have sleepless nights and small, episodic heart attacks?

Whatever your answer is, it's a choice that will define partly, what kind of person you are. :)




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Originally posted here 07.10.12