A Grassroots Peace Movement

by Lily Bernard

Have you noticed the return of the peace sign? It happened a few years ago. I hadn't seen it at all for many years, and then, all of the sudden, there it was. Well, it makes me think about peace. The peace sign originally meant: get our troops out of Vietnam; this generation does not believe in war; end war now and for all times... Well, our troops are still in another country fighting a war, and yet the peace sign is everywhere in Rancho Cordova. Right now, for me, it is a vacant sign whose very emptiness has haunted and inspired me to want to create peace--some sort of deeper more immediate and universal peace--something that will last.

What does it mean to be at peace? Well, I believe that true peace starts in the heart of an individual like you and me. So, I believe if we're going to be a nation at peace with ourselves and the world we need to start right here and right now in this wonderful community full of people of all races and religions, struggling to make it work for themselves and their families.

I know there are peace movements of the national or global variety, but they have a tendency of making us feel small and unimportant. Well, I think the people of Rancho Cordova ARE important to national security and peace as well as the people of Rosemont, Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Arden Park, Town and Country, College Greens, Gold River---our area. We spend our time watching or following national celebrities on TV or on the internet who don't know us or our community. They don't know there's a Food Source on Bradshaw Road, or that Rancho Cordova library is on Folsom or that there's an interesting, FREE magazine, "Go For It" or a great Fourth of July celebration every year at Hagan Park.

Here's my proposition: Let's turn off the TV and look at each other for the space of a few private minutes a day---that is all that joining the peace movement will entail---but it will produce powerful results in our community. We will be united and CONSCIOUSLY working towards world peace through the peace we daily give to each other.

I am a devout Catholic--a religious woman, yet I consistently learn virtue from my fellow human beings of no religion or a different religion. I believe with all my heart there is no peace without Jesus Christ, but I know there are people who don't believe this. My point is that, despite our differences, I believe if people in our community of all fatihs or no particular faith could come together and work AS ONE towards world peace, it would produce exciting and far-reaching results. United we will stand and stand proudly as Greater Sacramento adds its voice to the urgent cry for world peace. Let's give ourselves the satisfaction of seeing the peace sign somewhere and being able to say to ourselves, "Yes, we're united and we're doing something real and worthwhile!"

Here's the Greater Sacramento "As One" Peace Movement:

Join through email and name (an alias is fine) to lily@ivorytowergroup.net and make a personal DAILY commitment to do your current job well and DAILY do any ONE of the following:

 Perform an act of kindness, smile at someone you don't know OR pray one "Hail Mary" or one "Our Father" for peace in our community and the world.

I'll keep registered people updated on the number of people who've joined and other pertinent information.

I believe that DAILY, united, community effort will be the key and not weekly, long time commitments. By way of example, I'd like to share a personal story from my life of how a simple daily act of kindness has moved and changed me:

Every evening, my husband does the same thing---no matter how he's feeling, or how late it is---he gets me a COLD drink of water as he knows I like it cold, and some little pills I've accumulated that I need at night for this or that, and hands them to me. Out of all the things he's done for me, this little ritual is the one that has touched my heart and spoken volumes of love to me over the years and I know that if he dies before me---they will somehow appear (either physically or spiritually) on my bed table every night.

 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.