Let There Be Peace in the Valley For Me Someday

By Salvatore Hall --- inspired by Elvis Presley's 'Peace in the Valley'

Where can we find refuge in this place? We know that it is a temporary state of mind. Life and death happens every day. Refuge is sought in churches, schools, bars and clubs, but also through alcohol, knowledge, drugs and science to name a few. Whenever we are looking for clarity, we are looking to something to fill in the blanks. We seek something to give us purpose to brighten the everyday grind.

It is an interesting time in history to be alive. As a collective human society, we have let things slip. We have become fat and lazy, while letting our greed and thirst for fame and fortune get the best of us. Infrastructures are collapsing, and natural disasters are at an all-time high. Wars are breaking out, and there is a general unrest throughout the world. Through our pollution and disregard for the environment, some protective qualities of Earth have been damaged allowing for more violent rays and other harmful substances to penetrate our planet. There is also a political argument over global warming, and regardless of your loyalty to a certain party, some research proves the world is getting hotter and sea level may be rising.

It is pretty apparent that the precepts of personal growth and commandment of worshiping the "almighty dollar" has gotten us all in quite of a pickle.

Peace activist A.J. Muste said, "There is no way to peace, peace is the way." He meant that we can realize peace right in the present moment with each look, smile, word, and action. Peace is not just an end. Each step we take should be in peace, joy, and happiness. Precepts and commandments help us dwell in peace, knowing what to do and what not to do in the present moment. They are treasures that lead us along a path of beauty, wholesomeness, and truth. They contain the wisdom of our spiritual traditions. When we practice them, our lives become a true expression of our faith. Our well-being becomes an encouragement to our friends and to society.

Our happiness and the happiness of others depends on not only a few people becoming mindful and responsible. The whole nation has to be aware. Precepts, commandments, and ideas must be respected and practiced by individuals and by the entire nation. When so many families are broken, the fabric of society is torn. We must look deeply at this in order to understand the nature of these positive precepts, commandments, and ideas. Everyone must join in the work. For our world to have a future, we need to have basic behavioral guidelines. They are the best medicine available to protect us from the violence that is everywhere. Practicing precepts or commandments is not a matter of conformity , suppression, or limiting our freedoms. Precepts, commandments, and ideas offer us a wonderful way to live, and we can practice them with joy. It is not a matter of forcing ourselves and others to obey the rules. No single tradition monopolizes the truth. We must glean the best values of all traditions and work together to remove the tensions between traditions in order to give peace a chance.

We need to join together and look deeply for ways to help get people rerooted. We need to collectively, propose the best physical, mental, and spiritual health plan for our nation and for the earth. For the future to be possible I urge you to study and practice the best values of your religious tradition and to share them with young people in ways they can understand. If we meditate and come together as a family, a community, a city, and a nation, we will be able to identify the causes of our suffering and find a way out. We can get through these hard times and claim victory for our species. Please pray hard for me, and I will for you. Always remember the positive effect you can have on the people and the world in which you inhabit. You are special.

LiVe.LoVe.LiFe.

Peace.