21.09.2020
Archbishop of Dublin’s reflection on International Day of Peace
Archbishop Michael Jackson was one of the faith leaders who contributed reflections on peace to mark the UN International Day of Peace on Monday September 21. Because of Covid restrictions, the Dublin City Interfaith Forum gathering took place on Zoom. You can watch or listen to the Archbishop’s reflection below.
“I want to share a way to talk of peace itself in three ways, from three viewpoints. The first is seeing peace; the second is making peace; the third is keeping peace. Time and again, we rush to making peace in the hope of keeping peace. We miss out on the earlier need of seeing peace. This is peace envisioned not as something on the distant horizon, but as something already in our hearts and in the hearts of those we want to have and to own their own peace. We need to see this peace, if we are going to share it. Peace is part of our personal homework. Peace impacts everyone. Peace begins with each one of us in attitude and expectation, in willingness and concentration.
“We all have a wish–list of what peace is to be, of why peace is needed and of what peace and stability can do for the dignity of persons, for the economy and the wellbeing of societies. And this is why peace, as an international project, recognizes the need to draw and to pull together the internal urge and the external regulation. Time and again, events have shown us that peace does not do itself, peace does not make or keep itself. Peace is not only work in progress when it is going well. It is also work in regress when it is going badly. We need to grow peace. We need to nurture peace. We need to be together against regression in terms of love rather than hatred. Gathering is a sign of such togetherness in love and a hope of such growth for peace.
“Each one of us has something to give to peace, something to bring to peace. None of us should hide from peace. Nor should we hide peace from others. We need to see its colour. We need to hear its voice. We need to share its joys as well as its sorrows. Peace is not politics and diplomacy alone. Peace extends its arms into ecology and environment. We need to see peace there too. Peace is an adventure as well as being a stability. It holds together hearts and minds and hands and voices.
“We are tired of being asked: What have you learned in The Lockdown? – as if it is some sort of unending examination paper where there is neither question nor answer. And in using this picture, I pay tribute to all of those involved in the return to school, college and university and to everything you are doing for education and for peace. Peace has become something assumed by too many of us. It looks as if it ought to be ‘just there’ on our terms. The Lockdown is still with us. It is not solely physical. It is also firmly psychological. It is deeply embedded in the mind, even though we dread to hear it spoken of. Restriction and Peace are uneasy and unlikely friends to the human spirit. People of expressed faith have it all to do now with people of no expressed faith in seeing peace, in making peace, in keeping peace together. Faith also gives life and wellbeing. Faith and culture shared contribute to understanding owned.
“We celebrate today the people of peace, those who see, who make and who keep peace, whether they are known or unknown, sung or unsung. This is their day and we are proud of them in Ireland and worldwide. Let us celebrate The International Day of Peace 2020 together.”