Peace is a Natural State

As I have traveled I am often struck by two things: how different people do things differently (the difference of culture), but also how similar we are as people (each of us have dreams and desires, hopes and expectations).
As I've been listening to the news of the protests (mainly peaceful protesters, not necessarily peacefully received) sweeping through North Africa and the Arab world, a number of interviewed protesters have shared "I am no longer afraid." The power of protesting has freed them from their fear, and freed them toward living out their dreams and desires.
It is into this mix that I share a quote from Carrie Newcomer that Laura or I ran across a while back:

His Holiness the Karmapa visited the school today. He told a room full of children and young adults, " Peace is a natural state. We do not need to create it. We need to be it." Elementary students sang "breath in breath out" and "peace like a river" as he and ten monks smiled. To often we've seen how our spiritual traditions can divide us. It was lovely to see so clearly what surely connects us.

I wish you this sense of peace, - as Jesus said, "Peace be with you."