peace

Perhaps peace is not, after all, something you work for,

or "fight for."  It is indeed "fighting for peace" that starts all 

the wars.  What, after all, are the pretexts of all these Cold

War crisis, but "fighting for peace"?  Peace is something you have

or do not have.  If you are yourself at peace, then there is at least 

some peace in the world.  Then share your peace with everyone,

and everyone will be at peace.  Of course I realize that arguments

 like this can be used as a pretext for passivity, for indifferent 

acceptance of every iniquity.  Quietism leads to war as surely as 

anything does.  But I am not speaking of quietism, because quietism 

is not peace, nor is it the way to peace.

~ Thomas Merton

from Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander