Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author

Painting the World with the Brush Strokes of  Peace

by Bette A. Stevens

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15th commemorates the 73^rd anniversary of the crash of the G-AESY, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd that crashed in Danish waters just two weeks before Hitler invaded Poland and the world was at the brink of war. M. C. V. Egan’s latest novel, The Bridge of Deaths,  http://thebridgeofdeaths.com/ takes the reader to well-know and little known events leading up to the Second World War, both in Europe and America. As Bill, a young executive, travels today’s information highway, his journey through knowledge and time help him discover the real story of this 1939 plane crash. Both a mystery and a love story, Egan’s novel takes readers on a journey to uncover doubts left by the 1939 investigation into the incident. The Bridge of Deaths’ message that knowledge is the key to peace as a way to prevent war may give today’s readers insight into unlocking the secrets to peace for our own generation.

I wholeheartedly believe that knowledge of the past holds one of the keys to peace. Knowledge of the people in the world around us today holds the other essential key.  However, knowledge in and of itself is useless, a collection of unused paint brushes resting on the world’s shelf. We must pick up those brushes and start painting. The perfect portrait of peace begins within each one of us. It’s painted one brush stroke at a time. Here are some simple steps that we can all take to contribute to that portrait:

 Take the time to learn about those who are different than us. Perhaps we could start with someone in our own family (opinions, race, religion, beliefs, customs, cultures, political affiliations, the list goes on…):

• Listen to others
• Get to know them
• Let them get to know us
• Respect differences
• Look for commonalities
• Nurture relationships
• Offer and extend a helping hand
• Encourage others
• Enlist the help of others
• Give input and feedback
• Keep the conversation going

Working in the classroom as a teacher of students from diverse backgrounds, I learned first-hand that those who hold different beliefs from my own are all unique individuals with whom I have many things in common. We all share the same needs and desires, the same frustrations and fears, the same hopes and dreams.  Whether students, parents, staff, volunteers, administrators or colleagues, I have gained respect for and have been deeply enriched by each encounter. Life-long relationships have been nourished and continue to blossom. The brush strokes to peace lie within each of us. How do we paint the canvas? One brush stroke at a time. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS: Listen, share ourselves and our ideas, respect those of others, look for commonalities. Our individual and collective lives will continue to be enriched as we work together to paint that perfect portrait of peace!

Related articles

• Peace and Perceptions (ameliacurzonblogger.wordpress.com)
• PEACE BLITZ – August 15th, 2012 – Visit All Stops (ameliacurzonblogger.wordpress.com)