From Lew’s lines on the Sermon on the Mount:
I think often of the words that are on the passenger side mirror of my car that say “Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear.” Though we hear of wars in foreign lands and have great concern for our borders, we can take a warning from what we can see that perhaps the battles and the issues are closer than we may want to know…
While we are quick to think that Al Qaeda is our enemy and that political agenda would be our resolve. We must realize that our battle is far closer than we think, for our mirror tells us that our battle is first in our heart, and secondly in our relationships. Lewis Sterret
Lewis Sterret combines Sermon on the Mount preaching with tips on how to train horses. Based in New York State, his Miracle Mountain Ranch Missions is a leader in the field of camp horsemanship.
I do not agree with several of Lew’s fundamentalist Christian sentiments, but I did find the above concept very helpful in putting world conflict into perspective. With thousand of miles separating most people from the Middle East, its tempting to think “the problem” is far away. But it is not. It’s in the heart of humanity, the seedbed of all human motive and action.
Our prayers to understand one Father/Mother over all, and all people united in one family under God, build bridges with our neighbors. It inspires ways to work together, to love one another, to value, respect and honor people no matter how different their culture and customs.
Settling conflict around the world begins with settling conflict in our own heart.
Let the peace process go forth!
“One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is
wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.” Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health, p. 340.