Art
Peace is art.
It is the art of living. It is the way we relate to ourselves, to others, to those whom we love, to those who love us and to those who don’t. It is the way we relate to the environment that nourishes us, and to the government that supports us. It is the way we relate to our maker, our creator, who has provided us all the goods of the earth to nourish us. It is the way we live our life’s meaning and purpose. It is the expression of our thanks and praise for the goodness, beauty and truth of the God who loves us. Indeed, Peace is the sacred art of living. And if we manage to live Peace as the sacred art of living, then naturally, Peace is also the sacred art of dying. The way we care for the elderly, the terminally ill, the dying summarises our attitudes, values and way of life and manifests the Culture of Peace we aspire to nurture. At Instruments of Peace, we try to express this belief that Peace is the sacred art of living and the sacred art of dying through the initiatives we take. Everything we do is an expression of love for humanity, care for the environment and respect for the government where we exist. We do this in the form of initiatives that are self-funded. We do not fundraise, but we ask our friends to help us cover our expenses when running our events, friends who also love Peace and are committed to peaceful means in resolving all matters of life, and who try to commit to a lifestyle that enhances Peace. While we as an organisation manage our finances by paying for the running costs of administration, we welcome friends and peace-loving people to join us in funding our public peace events. For us, Peace is the art of managing precious resources. As Instruments of Peace, we believe that Peace is the ground we share with all people of goodwill and so we take it as our mission to build bridges of peace between different groups and communities wherever we are called to operate. To be an instrument of peace, means to live the art of bridge-building to promote Peace that unites everyone in the harmonious sharing of the goodness, beauty and truth of life, creation and The Creator. |
For us as instruments of peace, the daily guide for our individual and collective actions and interactions with people and events, is the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi, "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace". For every situation in life, there is a corresponding answer that is borne out of love. In response to hate, there is love; for injury, pardon, for doubt, faith, for despair, hope. for darkness, light, and for sadness, joy. To have a constant supply of love, forgiveness, faith, hope, light and joy, one must have constant connection with the Source of all these goodness. Peace is the art of relating to the God who loves us, as exemplified by St. Francis of Assisi. Peace is the art of being free to be good, being free to do things beautifully and being free to live the truth. The epitome of our peace commitment is in the face of death because the ultimate need of any dying person, regardless of affluence of poverty, is Peace. As instruments of peace, it is our duty to live out our compassionate care for a fellow human being who is facing the moment of death. The dying are the poorest of the poor regardless of economic standing. For us as instruments of peace, we understand Peace to be the Sacred Art of Living and the Sacred Art of Dying. |