A mamma house sparrow has taken up residence in my yard next to the pond. She started making her nest early in May by pulling apart the string I’d strung for my snow peas. We came to an understanding about the string which meant I cut pieces into manageable sizes for her to carry off without disrupting my pea fence. I love it when things can be negotiated and resolved, when we can share our resources so all life can benefit. I also love watching her care for her babes as they grow into strong healthy birds who will likely make other nests in or around my yard. Supporting the perpetuation of life in this small way is extremely rewarding to me.

This week has brought much news about places in our world where negotiation and resolution is all but lost. Where coming to an understanding about resources and land have gone woefully wrong. As I listened to the news of the Middle East and the escalation of force I couldn’t help thinking about the people there who are simply trying to get by one day at a time like me. People who are exhausted by the constant threat of violence at the hands of leaders who can’t seem to listen to their “enemy.” How can we live in a world where our neighbors live in constant fear of war, of guns and bombs that in fact do kill, and not have a better answer? Do we abandon the children of the world who are truly the most vulnerable by saying that’s just how it has been…what’s to be done about it?

A commercial jetliner flying over the Crimean Peninsula carrying people who innocently thought they were going on vacation or off to visit family and friends is shot down as if it posed a threat. How has it come to a place where we have allowed the insanity of disagreement to escalate into acts such as these and not yet in human history been able to come up with a better solution? Again children are among the victims.

And the crisis at our southern borders directly linked to the abuse of children in Central America. Do we turn our backs on them? Do we say “not our problem” and send them back to the hell they came from? Can we really think that we are free from responsibility in this crisis? Did we not provide the weapons to the now drug lords in Central America who are forcing children into drug use and distribution or death? Do we really believe there is no link to the increase in the availability of drugs like heroine in our cities? These are some of the faces crossing our borders illegally…do they pose a threat to us?

At 10 I sat with my father at the dinner table long after the rest of my family had left to discuss my thoughts about war. I have older brothers and was very worried they would be drafted and have to go to Vietnam. My brother Jay was in fact drafted and went to Vietnam. I remember asking my father why we can’t all lay down our weapons. All decide that they are destroying our peace, freedom and in some cases our lives. What is it that keeps us holding tight to the hatred, greed and violence that breeds this behavior? At 10 it was very simple I wanted all weapons destroyed. My father interjected and said that so long as there is more than 1 person on this Earth there is potential for conflict. At 10 I rejected that thinking and stood my ground stating we can learn how to live in peace. It is not as clear to me now how we go about this peacemaking but my conviction remains and I believe that if we are truly motivated by the right things we will find a way. Perhaps we start by asking the children of the world and truly listening to what they have to say.

Peace and Brightest Blessings