A close but cynical friend, in thanking me for the Christmas cards I sent in 2001, asked me why and how I had come to choose Peace on Earth holiday cards at such a sorry time. Our grief, never forgotten, was still very raw from the senseless and insane acts of hatred that had taken so many innocent lives. I did my best to explain my thoughts, feelings and reasoning for sending Christmas cards with this theme. I have since found other examples of peaceful greetings throughout history, whose simple statements are eloquent on the necessity for all of us to achieve peace on Earth through our thoughts and actions.
“A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.”
– Aesop
“Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.”
– Abraham Lincoln
“Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people.”
– Jawaharlal Nehru
“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”
– Calvin Coolidge
“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
– Neil Armstrong
“The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. So we must never neglect any work of peace within our reach, however small.”
– Adlai E. Stevenson
These benevolent words can inspire us to seek peace on Earth through everyday actions. Each of the Christmas cards I send expressing peaceful greetings is one small step that I can take toward making this world a better place.