Dynamic Peace

For various reasons, we like to think of peace as a state at rest, a state in which one rests and no longer has to do anything.

It is wishful thinking. Peace is a balancing act, as if walking the edge of a sword. A diplomat’s balance between warring nations, a priest’s balance between the fragile egos and minds of people.

The ability to balance requires wisdom. It requires insight into the characters of the people involved, an understanding of circumstance and perception—I would say history, but the events matter a lot less than how people perceive them—and it requires a timing so precise it might be best to call it luck. It requires subtlety and a commitment to that peace which allows the priest or diplomat to change approach immediately when they find out it’s needed.

Peace is anything but restful.