...pEaCe...

When asked 'what peace is', many are wont to respond: ''peace is an absence of war''. I think I should differ a bit. Peace should not be defined or determined by war. There could be a situation in which there is no war, yet there is no peace; where people don't quarrel, yet they don't interact; where we live in a community, yet without co-existence. Can't we define peace by itself, I mean with no tag or reference to war?
Some of us lack inner peace, yet we want the world to be at peace. Yeah, we want Syria to have peace. It's a dream, but quite realizable, yet that peace which we seek for us MUST come from us. It must flow from us, but first in us. We have to create it first within us, since charity begins at home.
I then see peace as a condition of total harmony and co-existence between two or more parties; between the body and soul; between the oppressor and the oppressed; between Obama and Osama; between master and slave, neither out of force nor fear, but of free and selfless commitment. Yes, in peace there is no war, but there is much more to it than just 'absence of war'. Have you, have I really got true peace? It wouldn't be out of place if we ask ourselves such questions.

Peace! Shalom! Udo!

WHERE IS GOD?

''Where is God'', one may ask, ''when bad things happen?'' Where is God when the mountain is on fire and waters overflow onto the lands and the valleys? (no where to run to).
Where is God when it hurts? Where is God when the last oil is used up, yet with little or no hope of survival?
Where is God when our tears suddenly become our bread; and our fears fears become our companions? Where is God when we are hurting?
Where is God when a success of several years suddenly crumbles, in a twinkle of an eye? Where is God when the grass suffers just because two elephants fight?
Where is God when those little children are abused, and they must have to live with trauma their whole life? Where is He when the innocent suffers and eventually dies from another's doings?

Yeah, we may be right in asking, but may not be right in not really knowing where He is, when things seem to go wrong. We can't really live without His love; and love brings us closer to those we love, and those who love us. It is man who always goes far from God, not the other way. True Friends are near to us when we need them, but God is always near because we need Him always. In fact, He is always with us.
You still want to know how close He is to us? Well He lives in us. He is in us at every moment. When we sleep, He's awake watching over us. When we sin, He doesn't run from us; rather we run from Him. He still searches for us. What greater assistance can you render a friend than to feel his pains with him, to shed his tears, to make his own sorrows yours, to carry his burdens, to bear his shame? God does these to us. He suffers in us when we are hurt. He suffers in us when we sin. We only fail to notice His presence. Yeah because we're so selfish; because difficulty tends to blind us from, even others' ordeal, and we see only ourselves. The pain of the difficult situation leaves our senses numb and dead to other cases seeking our attention.

God is the reason we survive hardship. Should we face all misfortunes that come to us alone, without God, we would've died long ago.
Benedicamus Dominum!