Friends oppose all war believing it to be inconsistent with God's will. Every person, even those we label "enemy",is a child of God, and we are led to recognize and reach out to the Light in all. Injustice and violence deny this reality, violating the teaching of peacemakers such as Jesus, Ghandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, and others.

Friends challenge governments, groups and individuals to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts, speaking truth to power. We urge one another to refuse to participate in war, working within our own borders, communities and homes to end the injustice that leads to violence.

Become a peacemaker in your homes, workplaces, and communities. Center yourself in the divine Presence that takes away the occasion for all war. Examine your thoughts and actions for the seeds of violence, degredation, and destructiveness. Overcome the emotions tha tlie at the root of violence, nurturing instead a spirit of reconcilliation and love. Living in unity and Light, embrace the oneness of all creation, and so to oppose the destruction of the natural world.

Queries:
Do I live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars?

How do I nourish peace within myself as I work for peace in the world?

Do I confront violence wherever it occurs, even when my personal relationships are involved?

Where there is distrust, injustice, or hatred, how am I an instrument of reconciliation and love?

What are we doing to remove the causes of war and destruction of the planet, and to bring about lasting peace?

Do we reach out to all parties in a conflict with courage and love?

Source: adapted from Reno Friends Quaker Meeting, "October: Peace" webpage.