#PeaceHug

Today has been set aside as the International Day of Peace. Many of you know that due to my own religious beliefs and my Quaker roots that I am a pacifist, and so this is an important day to me. I want it to be important to you too. I thought of writing about so many things to convince you that we need to "give peace a chance."  I thought about quoting Jesus as he taught us that peacemakers are blessed and that we should be "cheek-turners" when others turn violent. I thought about preaching about the sacredness of human life and the folly of hatred and revenge, both on a world scale and in our personal lives. I thought of writing about how we need to seek mercy and justice for the "least of these" in a world that so often responds to them with scorn. I thought of asking how we can follow a God who shows us such grace and forgiveness while at the same time seeking to "heap burning coals" on the heads of those who wrong us. But all of that seemed so BIG, and so theoretical.  I wanted to give you something concrete to DO on this special day. Something that might not change the world, but something that just might change YOUR world.

So here it is. Are you ready?  HUG SOMEONE. That's right...HUG SOMEONE!!!  Make a statement that love is the answer while violence and hatred are not. Hug people you see today. Hug people you don't like. Hug everyone!  While using social media,use the hashtag #PeaceHug and give virtual hugs all day long. Be part of a revolution of peace! Why a hug?  Here's a list: 

So share a hug today. Be a peacemaker. And feel free to start with me...

Because of Jesus,