The UN defines living together in peace as ‘all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way.’
Cultural misunderstanding, discrimination, segregation, racism, bigotry, conflict, hate crime, violence, war, terrorism, mass murder, ethnic cleansing…these situations are dividing societies and countries at the present time.
It is possible for us— individuals, groups, communities and nations— to live together in peace and harmony, irrespective of faith, ethnicity, race, ideology, social class, age and gender,
Pope Francis has often spoken of the dehumanising of the ‘other’, the outsider, the demonising of those who are different from ‘us’:
“The grave danger is to disown our neighbors. When we do so, we deny their humanity and our own humanity without realizing it; we deny ourselves, and we deny the most important Commandments of Jesus. Herein lies the danger, the dehumanization. But here we also find an opportunity: that the light of the love of neighbor may illuminate the Earth with its stunning brightness like a lightning bolt in the dark; that it may wake us up and let true humanity burst through with authentic resistance, resilience and persistence.” Read more
We invite you to join with the Sisters of St John of God today in praying for peace in our hearts, our homes, our ministry and work places, our countries.
