Peace in our hearts, Peace in our world 

If you wish for a more peaceful world, the first step is to resolve to become a more peaceful person yourself, writes Marcus Braybrooke

Peace in our hearts, Peace in our world
By Marcus Braybrooke
ISBN978-1-326-31527-6
Reviewed by John Rackley

A leader of the Inter-Faith Movement, Anglican priest Marcus Braybrooke, has re-issued compilation of meditations for each day of the year on a need dear to the heart of all who seek peace for themselves and others. The Inter-Faith movement seeks to recognise that within each religion there is a core of similar aspirations and convictions.

Braybrooke, who has championed this research for many years, has compiled a selection of quotations from the spiritual guides within all the religious traditions. Each is followed by a brief meditation and invitation to first pray in peace and then act in peace.

There are seven sections: Peace in our Hearts followed by our lives, homes, community and worlds, between Faiths and in the Universe; a better title would be Environment.  The work of peace-making and conflict resolution is vital in each of these areas. 

The success of such ventures cannot rely on technique alone it is also about persuasion and understanding of what motivates us.This book explores this need. It follows the writer of James who asks: Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you just want your way and fight for it deep within yourselves.

I found reading this material more demanding than I had imagined. It goes deep and invites repentance. It raises questions about virtue and character. To follow this for a whole year would need a commitment resting in the grace of God.

 
John Rackley is a Baptist minister who lives in Leicestershire and blogs at www.windingquest.com