Working for Peace

In 1961, Merton prays for the courage, patience and wisdom to speak and work for peace.  He complains that Americans are so afraid and worried about Communism, but they do not want to disarm.  I am often discouraged by the fact that Americans still are afraid of Communism, socialism, whatever the "ism" of the moment is; the loudest voices cry for more guns, more weapons, more power, then when their power is complete there will be peace.  But isn't history the record of such peoples, such governments, such policies, the record of failure, of war and strife?  I am afraid that we will never change, that the only power that will change history will be catastrophe, manmade or natural. 
I am always impressed by those civic minded people who are willing to protest in public, to join political movements, who continue to hope in the face of the disadvantage of history and the nature of mankind-a beautifully, tragic nature-equal parts of angel and demon.  The debate is going on today over the health care bill.  The Democrats are hoping to gain enough votes to pass a bill that can be given to the Senate.  But, the Democrats are divided into multiple groups, some want to object to provisions in a health care package that would provide assistance to medical procedures including abortions.  Others won't agree to a bill that doesn't acknowledge the current legality of abortion.  So these individual causes as worthy as they may be in a individual situation are enough to derail the whole proposition that Americans are deserving of healthcare.  Each side seems willing to abandon the millions and millions of people to whom abortion is not the issue, but treatment for diabetes or migraines or any of hundreds of different diseases and illnesses.  Forgotten are the faces of the millions of American children who receive no dental care or checkups because their parents cannot afford healthcare of any kind.  The problem that I have with such prinicpled stands is that they are like the American Bishops who sided with President Bush during the first and second elections because he was against abortion.  Their support and the Catholics over whom they had sway helped to push the election into the hands of Bush and the conservatives, and today we have wars, deaths of soldiers and countless foreign nationals, an economy that is unbalanced on the side of the military industrial complex; and we still have legalized abortion!  I believe that the Bishops erred in the practice of their faith.  They did not practice generosity, instead they sought and were corrupted by power.  Perhaps one day, I will join a movement, but until then I will practice generosity, kindness, patience and love with the people I meet everyday, and I trust that the peace that I have already found in living this way will be the world for me.