The Way is Peace

Attachment Theory looks at trauma as providing an obstacle for establishing or maintaining relationships.  Trauma Theory often attempts to help the victim of trauma by listening to their story and providing an attachment of positive attention.  Helping people to move beyond the trauma into healthy relating is a difficult journey.
I was recently at a presentation on working with servicemen and women who have been traumatized by military operations.  This is a nice word for warfare.  The focus was developing a protocol for assisting the trauma victim after the fact.  I raised a question that I had never thought of before.  I thanked the presenter as it is what I enjoy about these dialogues as they create new thoughts.  The question I asked was had the military thought about being pro-active and not just reactive about this matter.  To teach soldiers about trauma and what causes trauma and how to live more peaceably internally with trauma.  This would teach soldiers about internal peace and how to avert trauma of war.  That question was met by openness of the presenter as a new thought.  A participant commented that if we taught that, that peace can be nurtured and maintained internally, it would be in conflict with military operations which is to stir up hatred and rationalize violence. I was a bit amazed.

Until we look at trauma inside and heal our internal wounds we will continue to live in a violent and chaotic world.  As has been said "peace is not the way, the way is peace".

Recently I was in a discussion group in which a presenter on the theory of attachment said that we have to help people put their trauma aside as it is overwhelming.  I asked what would happen if we could face our trauma in a good way to a good end.  Another person commented if we did that we would not have so much trauma in the world.  Interesting idea.  Maybe a key to peace is

Good is good enough

This is Final Four weekend.  Typical to the human propensity for a champion a winner take all orientation we will crown a Champion of NCAA College Basketball in both the women and men's divisions.  It is not good enough to be good.  We have to be better than the other guy and ultimately we have to let one be the best!  This is the win lose, winner take all paradigm of humanity.  While it can be fun in some arenas like basketball it can be catastrophic in other arenas like global violence, global famine, and oppression for the sake of succession.

Interestingly enough when God created, after each day of creation (mostly) God said it was good.  He did not say it was better.  Never did he say it was best.  There was no competitiveness just a cooperative and collaborative affirmation of goodness.  After the sixth day God did say that he looked at everything he had made and said that as they all worked together to create and sustain balance in the universe, they are very good.  Balance and harmony is about valuing everyone and everything.  Pouring value into everything and everyone.  If we all contributed to each others value as part of the human race maybe violence would cease and that would be very good.

I heard a suggestion that I though was "very good".  If everyone, when they filled out their census forms answered the question about your race, checked other, then wrote in human we would decrease our emphasis on the competition of racial distinction and balance out and harmonize as members of the "human race".  Novel and nurturing idea.

A member of the human race!