Suluhisha, Suhuliana

Suluhisha, suluhiana.
Suluhisha, suluhiana.
(Swahili: Make peace, make peace with each other. )

And when there's hope in our hearts,
The world can't stop what we start.
We are the children, the children of peace,
Seeking the pathways of love and harmony.
When one by one we stand up, and believe.
We can be the children of peace.

I will be the one to reach out my hand.

Suluhisha, suluhiana.
Suluhisha, suluhiana.

(from Children of Peace (Suluhisha, Suhuliana))

Last year I listened to a lovely lady's choir sing "Peace, peace peace on Earth..." and they brought the room to stillness. Everyone stopped to listen. This year, they sang another song of peace, during a morning church service, that nearly brought me to tears. Listening to the girls sing songs of peace, all of those beautiful young voices singing words of hope brings tears to my eyes. From last year's post:

'When these children sing "Let us all sing together of peace on earth," they still believe that peace is possible. They imagine still nights, and dream of people around the world holding hands and greeting one another with love. A choir made up of grownups with the finest of voices could never sing that song the way those girls did. Whatever challenges the girls may face in their individual lives it is likely that most of them didn't wake up in the morning to read a story in the paper about three little boys...little boys...blown up because their father works for a government with which the bombers disagree. (Why do I read the paper? Stories like this bring me to tears. "What's the matter, Mom?" asks the six-year-old gent. Do I tell? Or not?) Stories of poverty and famine and war from all across the world. Knowledge of the truly horrible things that human beings can do to one another. Once we grow up and start to see the world, I don't think we can truly sing the words "Peace on earth" without regret and grief mingled with our hopes for peace on earth, goodwill to all.'

I think about how precious these girls are, how lovely, how innocent. As we grow into adulthood, we become jaded by the world and the possiblity of peace seems to fade and grow dim. War, murder, bombs, guns, hatred all chip away at our belief that peace is possible. Thanks to God for these lovely young women, for their hope and belief in peace. Their hope revives my own hope. Their belief inspires my own belief. Not the naive hope that suddenly the world's leaders will begin speaking words of peace, nor the belief that the people of the world will put down their weapons tomorrow and embrace one another. But hope and belief that as long as we hold the dream of peace alive, practice peace in our daily lives, look for ways to promote peace we can make a difference. Even a small difference. It's better than giving up.

Our hopes for the world, for our children: Live in peace. Speak peace. Teach peace.

Make peace, make peace with one another.