Saving ‘Peace’ And ‘Love’

By Ken Woodley

Two of the most important and powerful words in the English language have been wounded. 

Left bleeding by the side of the road.

Beaten down by cynicism.

Overpowered by our unswerving belief in the power of their antonyms.

We have no doubt that hate and war can destroy the world.

But we have no similar faith that peace and love can save us.

They must be reclaimed in every language on Earth.

We must re-take their true power in this world and embrace their genuine potential within us. 

Cynicism too often erases our awareness of their presence in the world. If I were to tell you, to tell anyone, about the power of hate and the power of war or violence, nobody would chuckle and shake their head.

Not a soul would doubt me. 

Evidence of their destructive power surrounds us. It is in headlines dug like armed trenches around us all. 

Why, then, shake our heads and doubt the power of peace and love? It is, after all, a law of physics, woven into the very fabric of the universe and ourselves: 

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. 

For hate, therefore, there must be love. 

For war there must be peace. 

We must not regard “peace” and “love” as hippie-speak pie-in-the-sky. 

They are absolutely real. 

We doubt them at our own peril. 

Because only we can prevent their appearance, with power, in this world. 

We must, therefore, reclaim and launch their light into the darkness. 

And we can.

Anyone who has unclenched a physical or mental fist knows the truth of this.

So, let’s do so now.

Even if it’s just you and me letting go of whatever encourages us to clench, rather than open, our soul.

Yes, our doing so is just a drop in the world’s bucket.

But we’ve got to start somewhere if that bucket is ever going to overflow with peace and with love.

By Ken Woodley
Two of the most important and powerful words in the English language have been wounded.
Left bleeding by the side of the road.
Beaten down by cynicism.
Overpowered by our unswerving belief in the power of their antonyms.
We have no doubt that hate and war can destroy the world.
But we have no similar faith that peace and love can save us.
They must be reclaimed in every language on Earth.
We must re-take their true power in this world and embrace their genuine potential within us.
Cynicism too often erases our awareness of their presence in the world. If I were to tell you, to tell anyone, about about the power of hate and the power of war or violence, nobody would chuckle and shake their head.
Not a soul would doubt me.
Evidence of their destructive power surrounds us. It is in headlines dug like armed trenches around us all.
Why, then, shake our heads and doubt the power of peace and love? It is, after all, a law of physics, woven into the very fabric of the universe and ourselves:
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
For hate, therefore, there must be love.
For war there must be peace.
We must not regard “peace” and “love” as hippie-speak pie-in-the-sky.
They are absolutely real.
We doubt them at our own peril.
Because only we can prevent their appearance, with power, in this world.
We must, therefore, reclaim and launch their light into the darkness.
And we can.
Anyone who has unclenched a physical or mental fist knows the truth of this.
So, let’s do so now.
Even if it’s just you and me letting go of whatever encourages us to clench, rather than open, our soul.
Yes, our doing so is just a drop in the world’s bucket.
But we’ve got to start somewhere if that bucket is ever going to overflow with peace and with love.