Walking Gently on the Earth

The word disarmament is used often by people working for peace in our world. In this context, disarmament is used most often on a global scale rather than on a personal level. Have you ever thought of disarmament as a way of walking gently and compassionately on the earth? Personal disarmament can be a powerful way to "be the change we wish to see in the world." (Mahatma Gandhi)

There are many ways to be open to God sprinkling clean water and giving a new heart and a new spirit; these are interconnected ways to work toward disarming the heart.

Diverse and compelling ways to disarm the heart include:

• Disarmament from language that is exclusive ("non-white, non-Catholic"); militaristic ("I'm going to fight for that; being under the gun; good soldier"); hurtful, petty, revengeful ("no-good; dumb"), thus freeing oneself for language that is inclusive, loving, non-elitist, affirming, and healing.

• Disarmament from personal biases, prejudices, jealousies. Disarmament from what is sexist and racist; from negative, unhealthy images and feelings about oneself and others; from feelings of being inferior or superior; and from false pretenses. Doing this for acceptance of oneself and others and for creating positive imagery/energy to accept growth -- personally and within others.

• Disarmament from creature comforts that come from what I "want" rather than what I "need"; from complacency, convenience, comfortableness; from feelings of being safe and right (at the cost of another's dignity) in order to be free for better care of the environment and for being pro-life for all peoples -- from the womb to the tomb.

• Disarmament from fear of being hurt, used, rejected, abused; of failure; and of losing approval, thus freeing oneself for changing and being changed, for giving and receiving, for loving and being loved, for forgiving and being forgiven. As it says in John 4:18 "Love has no room for fear; rather perfect love casts out all fear."

In their peace pastoral The Challenge of Peace, the U.S. Catholic Bishops wrote that, "All of the values we are promoting in this letter rest ultimately in the disarmament of the human heart and the conversion of the human spirit to God who alone can give authentic peace. Indeed, to have peace in our world, we must first have peace within ourselves."

Disarming one's heart -- to love more deeply and to be more fully human -- is one of the most challenging and life-changing ways to walk gently and compassionately on the earth.