Bridging the Gap to Peace
From a New Way of Thinking Into Action
by
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Fear also causes us to forget our purpose. This can result in a complete breakdown, both within ourselves and with others. This ingrained mindset has repeated itself inter-generationally. People learned that it wasn’t safe to be honest, so they chose to limit their expression of the truth by withdrawing or building barriers. This is the stuff that "Watergates" and suicides are made of. One antidote to fear is confidence. Confidence requires self-esteem, and self-esteem includes the ability to value what we have to offer. How can we embrace others who carry a legacy of mistrust and fear? Surprisingly, the answer is found in most of the major religions of the world, including Christianity, Sikhism, Confucianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Baha’I, Taoism, Shinto, Shamanism and New Thought. Their teachings all admonish us to love, yet thus far we are still incapable of actualizing the universal aspect of agape love in politics because we fear the truth. And what is the truth? The truth is that within the practices of each faith is love for God and love for our fellow man. (See Appendix A – the Golden Rule and Laws of Love.) Marianne Williamson, in The Healing of America suggests: "The point of living in this world is that we transform it back to the ways of love: to create a life ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’ From an esoteric, philosophical perspective, the point of human evolution is that we hasten the day when heaven and earth no longer exist as two separate states. Human power is the power of will--.Divine power is the power of love. The spiritual and psychological evolution of the species is the march toward their union, or a consciousness of Will-to-Love--.We must will into the world the love in our hearts, not through self-will but through surrender to God’s will. That is our spiritual, as well as our psychological, maturity. Love, to be God’s love, is not a passive, but a participatory emotion." (28) Alan Cohen reminds us that: "The belief that we are lost, helpless and unloved children is the source of all our problems--.The only way out of the confusion is the memory that there is, indeed, a divine order to the universe, no matter how haphazard it may seem. The truth is that if we are willing to love, we shall surely discover we are loved." (29) While it may seem naïve, Alan Cohen asks, "Who that believes God is present would need an atomic bomb? And who that believes God is not present could possibly secure safety with 10,000 atomic bombs?" We are left to ponder the age-old question of how goodness prevails over negativity. This is why it is time to awaken. We must be involved. In working on the total abolishment of nuclear weapons, we gradually work up to a total demilitarization throughout the world. We know that the arms trade is a lucrative business, which is why we need to stop it. In so doing, we will notice a year by year decrease in the military expenditure of the various nations, and a gradual working towards demilitarization. Over and over, we are reminded that human problems will always remain, but the way to resolve them is through dialogue and discussion, rather than war and bloodshed. Although it will still take more time for the situation to change, to say the least, we can’t give up hope. What we teach our children will be realized in the future. Robert Muller reminds us that "We come from somewhere and we are going somewhere, as part of the great stream of the universe. If we do not see this in our lives, we can’t find happiness and serenity and adopt a right moral standard." (30) The most important thing we can do is to continue to work on ourselves as a prelude to understanding what true peace is.
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About the Book
“This is a very important book. Despite all the knowledge and intelligence the human species has acquired, we still are saddled with about 70 active conflicts in the world. To become a peacemaker, whatever your condition is, whatever your walk of life you live in, you must decide first of all to become a peacemaker, and then all the rest will fall into place. This is what happened to Deri Joy Ronis…Dear Reader, as you read this book, jot down any ideas which come to you during the day or the night and you will soon see your life become a beautiful work of art, blessed by untold happiness. Please try it.”
About the Author
Dr. Deri Ronis – a licensed pastoral counselor, certified family mediator and university professor -- has studied and taught around the world. She holds a Ph.D in International Peace Studies and Conflict Management/Resolution, and is a popular consultant, lecturer, and speaker on topics ranging from anger management and addictions to violence prevention and international peace. Since 1987 she has run a successful private practice in psychotherapy and family/corporate mediation.
Passionately devoted to the promotion of mental well being, personal development, successful conflict resolution and peace studies, Dr. Ronis has received wide acclaim for her ability to blend spirituality with traditional psychotherapy, and she applies these same principles to pressing global concerns. A rarity in the professional counseling field, she is equally adept at helping troubled individuals and couples as she is at providing insights and solutions to issues such as international peace.
(561)644-3904
www.DrDeri.com
Dr. Deri Ronis – a licensed pastoral counselor, certified family mediator and university professor -- has studied and taught around the world. She holds a Ph.D in International Peace Studies and Conflict Management/Resolution, and is a popular consultant, lecturer, and speaker on topics ranging from anger management and addictions to violence prevention and international peace. Since 1987 she has run a successful private practice in psychotherapy and family/corporate mediation.
Passionately devoted to the promotion of mental well being, personal development, successful conflict resolution and peace studies, Dr. Ronis has received wide acclaim for her ability to blend spirituality with traditional psychotherapy, and she applies these same principles to pressing global concerns. A rarity in the professional counseling field, she is equally adept at helping troubled individuals and couples as she is at providing insights and solutions to issues such as international peace.
(561)644-3904
www.DrDeri.com