Friday, January 16, 2009

On Peace: Some thoughts from Fr John Dear

I've been - what word should I use? - preoccupied with peace for a good part of my life. That's not to say I've been a faithful disciple of peace, not by any means. I've come closer to where I need to be, inching slowly towards a life of nonviolence.

As part of my ongoing formation, I've read bits and pieces by the Jesuit, John Dear. Finally, I'm about half-way into his autobiographical A Persistent Peace.

On one hand, I'm disturbed and disappointed. Not with him, mind you, but with myself. I lack the courage, the stamina, the dedication to work towards peace even with a fraction of the passion to which he has dedicated his life.

Where do I find comfort? In St Paul's words to the people of Corinth. We all have been given different gifts from the same Spirit, all for the benefit of God's Kingdom here and to come.

While promoting peace may not be my primary vocation, such efforts can certainly be part of my journey.

Stay tuned!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Here's a related video (Father John Dear) you might be interested in:

http://essentialdissent.blogspot.com/search/label/Father%20John%20Dear