Mission VII: Be the Peace

For Reflection: Before moving on to Mission #7, take a moment to reflect on yesterday's mission. How did it feel to open your heart to another? Was it scary, difficult, exhilarating? What was the effect of this action on your own well-being and on the person you shared with? How might you live with your heart more openly throughout the year? If you haven't done so, post your reflections and experiences on the Compassion Report Map to amplify your compassionate action!  It was hard.  It seems like we are always too busy to stop and listen.  Everyone I approached yesterday was like the bunny in Alice in Wonderland, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q93VrYOXSe8.

"Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” -Let There Be Peace on Earth, Song by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller Our seventh and final mission, Agents, is to make an offering of peace to another person or community from the sincerest depths of our hearts. Let us kick off this mission by listening to the song that moved Pope Francis during the interreligious encounter at the Ground Zero Memorial in New York. Peace is not a noun, a thing, but rather it is a verb, a continuous intention, a way of being in the world. Peace is the willingness to be vulnerable, to seek understanding, to strive for respect and integrity, to be humble, and to reach across the chasms of disconnection and confusion with the full intention of creating lasting bonds of compassion and love. Today’s mission, Agents, is to make an offering of peace to a person or community you feel would benefit from such an act. It might be a religious or spiritual community that has been traditionally excluded from your society. Perhaps it is a community of a different culture or place that you want to make feel more welcome. It could even be a person that you wish to have a more peaceful relationship with, whether this is a friend, family member, or coworker. Create an offering of peace in your own way - which could be a work of art, your words, a letter, a hug - and offer it to them today. As you fulfill your mission, share your experiences on the Compassion Report Map to amplify its power! Check out all of the inspiring reports posted on the map so far! Going Deeper: This may be the final mission for World Interfaith Harmony Week, but there are many wonderful compassion expeditions to come! Agents, sign up for the upcoming Compassion Games Coopetition: Love This Place! Serve the Earth Week! Beginning on April 16th, Serve the Earth Week is 9-day global challenge to inspire acts of love, service, and compassion toward our Mother Earth and all life. Learn more and sign up here!   Inspiration for Mission #7: The inspiration for our final World Interfaith Harmony Week Coopetition is from the profound global warrior of Peace, Pope Francis.   “Instead of being just a church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors open, let us try also to be a church that finds new roads ... to those who have quit or are indifferent.” Additional Resources: Pope Francis Full Speech with US Congress September 2015 Follow Pope Francis on Twitter @Pontifex Pope Francis' Website Review Past Missions! Missed any of the previous missions or want to review them? View them here!