glad tidings of a peaceful practice

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Photo: Pam Ivey / Unsplash

It's the 24th of December as I write this from my office in Zurich. For me, it's Christmas Eve.

This far north, the very short days are wet, grey and cold. So I'm dreaming of life much further south where the days are long and penguins are at play.

For many people Christmas is a time to celebrate a dream of peace on Earth and goodwill to all. In fact, here's the thing I love most about Christmas: for a few days everything just stops in this part of the world. The city goes quiet, and and for me there are no agendas at all—for about 36 hours.

This is how peace must feel.

I'm starting to ask: How can I practice more holiday peace for the rest of the year?

Here's an answer I found: "When people are able to...focus on what gives life and [on] what is right before them, they set to work. When the invitation is to work to contribute to good, their work becomes the practice of peace. Open Space can become the pure practice of peace."

Chris Corrigan said that in The Tao of Holding Space.

But what about all the conflict and destruction in the the world? How can I work with people to create the conditions that make peace?

I also like Harrison Owen's answer in the The Practice of Peace: "Destructive conflict occurs when you run out of room — physically, emotionally, inellectually, spiritually.

And the answer would seem to be — open more space."

24th December 2019 by Steve Holyer

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