One often hears (usually in connection with elections) the complaint, "I'm just one person; what can I do?"
The comment is made rhetorically, but the answer is, in an election or in life in general, "one person can do a lot; they can do as much or as little as they want."
Perhaps the best opportunity a person, or a family or other small group, has to show the power of positive thinking in this direction is now upon us, namely Christmas time.
This season is all about love and giving, but we need to think "outside the box" in this regard, and remember the message brought to the earth on that first Christmas night so long ago, when the wish was for "Peace on earth and good will to all people".
This wasn't just quietly murmured by a priest in the quiet of a church meeting, this was boldly announced in the skies over Bethlehem; thus, this ought to be paid attention to and remembered, and enacted upon.
Just as real love is an action, peace and love to all mankind takes real actions, and thoughts, and stepping forward to offer a hand in assistance to anyone who is in need. This is not just the purview of those involved in international conflicts; recall the adage, "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me"?
This means in all of one's relationships, at home, at work, in service clubs and organizations, at schools, at church, in the community in general: let peace and love and patience be a part of your thoughts and actions to everyone around you.
"Peace on earth" has to start somewhere, with somebody making the effort either to keep the peace, or make peace.
Look at the extraordinary example of our own country; we as a nation are considered small on the international stage, and yet we are renowned for the excellence of our peacekeeping efforts in many areas of armed conflict. Sometimes our forces have to do more, such as recently in Afghanistan, where civil turmoil still rages on, thanks to the Taliban - but their end goal is to bring peace to a nation that doesn't know the word, and hasn't experienced true peace for centuries upon centuries.
The world is an awfully big place, but we only have to worry about our own corner of it; let us shine the light of love, of Christmas, in this corner, and if other individuals do so as well, eventually peace will come, to all the world, to benefit all mankind.
