Blessed are the Peacemakers for they will become the Children of God
One day can make a difference. One vision can make a difference. One person will make a difference. Friend Marge Aukerman from Spokane, Washington will hand-carry peace postcards to Oprah's staffers in Chicago on April 23. Speedy delivery! Surely, Oprah's program organizers won't throw away peace?
The newest development in the peace quilt trip around the world amazes me, but then again the spreading of peace is bound to be serendipitous. In Costa Rica last month, I learned about the Monarch Butterfly that returns to an exact locale on a certain tree even after four generations of the cycles of life and death. A parable for the quilt visions. Middle Schoolers sent the quilt with me, their retiring teacher, with the directive to gather 1,000,000 visions-of peace-postcards from folks "around the world." I promised to travel wherever I could for a year, paying my own expenses, taking no reimbursement, giving back and paying forward peace through their "voices of peace." Butterflies fly with a purpose. Visions multiply.
Time to summarize the past two weeks: A whirlwind trip to Spokane was preceded by sharing the butterfly quilt and peace postcards with Professor Amy Maupin from Transylvania University in Kentucky. A possibility of educating in-service teachers with ideas from a Peace 101 Curriculum(yet to be compiled but documented from two years of on-the-job research) are in the works. This full-blown curriculum guide will enable teachers to embed the teaching of peace in classrooms where it belongs. That's next year.
Continuing the quilt journey, I introduced the peace card project to Spokane, Washington this last week. Mission Community Church and Pastor Lucille Gump graciously welcomed the message of spreading peace with energetic enthusiasm. For the Sunday's sermon, I shared the middle schoolers' messages of peace as well as their invitation to send 1,000,000 visions of peace to Oprah. The text was taken from the Beatitudes--"Blessed are the peacemakers for they will become Children of God," Matthew 5:9.)
In the congregation sat Marge Aukerman who was immediately inspired by the young voices' words and actions for peace. Her face sparkled with understanding as I looked out into the congregation from the pulpit. I could see that she"got it" right away.
After church, I passed out postcards to every person there. I'm tired of being subtle.
Marge took her card replying that she already knew what would be on her postcard to Oprah: "People need to listen to each other to solve conflicts."
Out of the blue-a day later, Marge's "girls" from Seattle called to tell her to pack her bags; the four of them would be heading East to be audience members on the Oprah Show on April 23. Coincidence? I don't think so. Now Marge will be an ambassador for kids' visions of peace. (Why am I reminded of the four generations of Monarchs in Costa Rica?)
Stay tuned! Marge will take filled-out peace postcards from her friends to Chicago and figure out how to spread the peace visions. I was temporarily bummed when I found out that she couldn't take the mini quilt also. I had hoped. "Recalculate. Recalculate." Oprah Show rules are stringent though. Audience members can't wear any printed clothing or bring purses/bags into the studio. The producers must be afraid of concealed butterflies. But nothing says Marge and her girls can't randomly "drop" or "lose" a few vision postcards outside the studio doors, letting them flutter where they may. Cheers to butterflies and kids with visions who inspire adults!
