why we choose peace

A common and relevant thread in my life right now is conflict. My Facebook feed is full of people drawing lines and throwing rocks at anyone who they feel is on the other side of it with sweeping generalizations. The common question I hear from friends in person is how do we fix this? I have heard many different thoughts that all have a lot of merit - from learning to listen, to learning to individualize people, as well as how to separate people from the issues that bother us. While I would say all of those are necessary, I feel there is a centralized starting point to any beneficial stepping-stone of peace making. I feel like the thing we need to filter our view of people through, especially in the realm of politics, is compassion. I can’t think of a single time I have looked on someone with compassion and been tempted to be condescending or derogatory in any way. The greatest benefit of compassion is that it doesn’t require a change in the other person. It is about us. And if I’m honest with myself, I am probably where most of the problem lies. 

-james