“If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.”
—Chinese Proverb
I love this old Chinese proverb, because it connects directly what happens in our hearts to what happens in our homes, our country, and the world. What’s inside of us is what we put out into our relationships, into our workplace, into our communities, into the culture. If there is rage in us, it affects our families. If there is violence in our hearts and our minds, it will affect others. And so it goes.
Let’s start today, and that means starting within ourselves. Think about the importance of having a light in your own soul, as the proverb says. What you think, how you speak, how you parent, how you behave at work—it’s all connected.
A friend of mine once suggested her priest come and bless my family’s home. So the priest, who had moved to Los Angeles from India by way of the Philippines, came over. He prayed with us. He spoke to us about peace—the peace in our hearts and how that helps us create and live in a peaceful home. He spoke about how it’s all connected and how we’re all connected.
“Create a peaceful home, a blessed home,” he said. “Make that a priority. It doesn’t matter how big or how small your home is. Your home should be a place of peace for you and your family. That way, when you go forth from it, you go forth from a place of peace out into the world.”
It’s so true. We live in rapidly changing and challenging times. We are bombarded with stories of violence. Too many Americans are living in fear, their homes dangerous places in dangerous cities. As a nation, we can do better, but so often we don’t.
What can each of us do now that could help us create a more peaceful environment? We can do what this proverb calls upon us to do. We can bless our homes. The home within us, the homes we live in, and the home that is our community.
Peace in the world will take global leaders coming together, but peace in our own hearts can start today, right now. It sounds like a small thing, but it has big implications. Let’s bless our hearts and our homes. Let’s challenge what is and imagine what can be: a more peaceful planet for us all. Today I’ll meditate on this.
Dear God, I am amazed at the greatness and majesty of all you have created. Thank you for how nature speaks to me of your great power and design. Thank you for the beauty of the flowers and the sunsets and the oceans and the mountains. Thank you for the peace in my own home. Amen.