How can we bring more peace to the world?

Jun 24, 2016 | Sufism

I recently had the joy of spending Father’s Day at my dad’s, where we watched the news on television every day.

The national news was contrasting the rhetoric from the Stanford rape case alongside the poignant letter from the victim in that crime – which was read in its entirety on national news! Orlando, the fantasy world which is just up the road from my home, has been hit with 3 major tragedies in a row. Then just today, the people of the UK voted to leave the European Union and reports from both sides of that issue are flooding the media.

Now I remember why I stopped watching the news, yet I can also see the importance of knowing what people are faced with on a daily basis.

The first question is, do you want to tune in to what is happening in the world? You do have choice.

Secondly, if you choose to tune in, how can you better cope without closing your eyes? How can you watch with eyes open and not close your heart?

One way is to select which news media we allow to inform us. Some are more focused on the sensationalism and drama than others.

Another way is to be in remembrance and ask for God’s truth to shine through as we are listening. God teaches us through everything. What is He teaching us through these events and the reactions to these events?

As I was thinking about this and praying about what to write to you this morning, I heard, "We are all children in the eyes of God."

So I asked, what does this mean, and how does it pertain to living with open eyes and open hearts in the midst of chaos?

Well, what do we learn from observing children?

When children are learning to work out their differences, they can resort to force to get what they want. They are trying to establish boundaries and safety, and they do not yet have the communication skills to resolve their differences peacefully. They must be taught.

Let us never believe that we have all the answers and that we are too old to learn. Let us always remember to seek guidance from God. Let us always remember to love our brothers and sisters without any separation between any of them and between them and us.

Let us remember that we live in a world made from love. The way to return to love is through compassion and forgiveness.

One thing I do want to make clear in case there are any doubts – our Sufi tariqa and the religion of Islam does not support terrorism, violence, rape, abuse, hate crimes or any acts of aggression on any people or populations.

One of the main purposes of The University of Sufism is to spread the message of Peace, Love, Mercy, Compassion, Justice and Freedom.

I thought you might appreciate this 2-part recording Nura did for our FAQ page, which is on our Patheos blog:

How can a person bring more peace & love to the world?

Part 1: Family