The Power of Peace
In a podcast titled The Politics of Tyranny: War, Marc Barnes says, “If you go into someone's peaceful home and say, ‘Hey, everyone run out the front door!’ they won't. But if you go into someone's home and you say, ‘Hey, the house is burning down—everyone [run] out the front door!’ they will.” This example illustrates how a lie can be used to motivate and manipulate others. Tyrants often create the illusion that there is some sort of threat to be feared in order to control others for their own self-gain. Two common lies they use are:
That we are at war with each other.
What we have is not enough.
To get a complete picture of these ideas, I invite you to listen to the full podcast or better yet, the whole Politics of Tyranny series. The conversation in this particular episode makes a strong case that people at peace are powerful. When a community is at peace, it is resistant to being controlled by external forces. When an individual is at peace, he is immune to the torrent of voices trying to convince him that he needs more.
This week, I invite you to consider:
Where do I believe that I am at war with others? Where do I believe that I do not have enough? Which of these beliefs are true and which might be lies planted by others for their own self-gain? How might I create greater peace in my own life and in my community?
God bless,
Dan
