JMR

 "You are more important than my view" and what does this have to do with peace? More than it does at first glance. Ancient Jews held peace in high regard, Shalom, which means peace and so much more. It is an inner completeness and tranquility. The absence of war. Inward wholeness. Peace to me was associated with the 60's and 70's as a symbol against the Vietnam War. Everyone had peace signs everywhere. And until a paragraph in the book that I am reading jumped out at me, I never really thought deeply about what peace meant to me. And if I am being honest, I have never known the absence of peace. Not like those who are living in war torn countries or who are living on the streets trying to find a safe place to lay their heads. I suppose peace could mean many things to us. The word conjures so many instances. I am curious how you define your own peace. Is it something tangible or is it inside of you? Do you seek it out or is it part of you? But back to the statement "You are more important than my view". In my opinion this epitomizes how I feel these days about arguments that abound on these social media platforms. I used to love a good debate about many things. Not so much anymore. I see and have felt how damaging viewpoints have become. They are cruel weapons rather than constructive devises. Rarely do we see civil discourse. Most discussion becomes a mess of insults and threats. So I refrain from them. I refuse to diminish the value of people because my view is my view. So that is peace to me. Putting people above viewpoints that may or may not be relevant. Shalom