As a reader of this special issue, you probably have more than an intellectual interest in the role of religious and spiritual traditions in practices of peacebuilding, reconciliation, nonviolence and healing. You may have a fervent desire for peace to prevail in your heart, in your relationships and in the world. You may hope to embody peace in your daily living.
The selection of the passages that follow was made with this idea in mind: humankind’s highest ideals are reflected in portions of sacred texts, prayers and poetry collected by the world’s spiritual and religious traditions. Sustained focus on these inspirational passages can help to transform our thinking and behavior so that our lives become more closely aligned with our ideals (Easwaran, Citation2016).
Selection of the passages in this section was a collaborative process that included the special issue’s co-editors, Dr. Linda Plitt Donaldson and Dr. Kamilah Majied. Factors considered in the selection process were the diversity of the journal’s readers and the themes of the special issue. We aimed to include passages from multiple traditions that envisioned a world at peace and the human qualities needed to build it.
The passages that follow are a small sample of the vast riches of the world’s spiritual literature. We hope this offering will prompt readers to build their own collections of passages to inspire and support our common work of peacebuilding.
Work Cited
- Easwaran, E. (2016). Passage Meditation (4th edition). Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press.