Seeds of Peace

There I was in the asparagus patch. I found weeding to be awkward, always leaning over and tugging at the ground. There was a drought in Indiana, and the earth was thirsty.

I began talking to Jonathan, an intern on the farm. After a short time I learned that he will be spending the next 3 years in Palestine with Christian Peacemaker Teams. His mother is Palestine, and he has studied Arabic. He wants to experience the conflict firsthand and support the Palestinian people in whatever way he can.

"When I was in the Gaza Strip we used to accompany children to school," Cliff said. Cliff Kindy is an older man with a long, curly beard. His gentle, silly demeanor is surprising since he has spent much of his life in violent places such as Iraq, Columbia and Honduras. Cliff and Arlene live on the Kindy Farm near North Manchester, Indiana. They live on the land and sell produce at the local farmer's market. They live simply on purpose, so that they will not have to pay federal taxes and support the many wars our country fights.

Standing on earth, I listened to his stories of being in dangerous places and the people he met along the way. I asked him if he was afraid to die. "We've all got to die sometime," he responded. Yet somehow the suicide bomber let him live, the doctors were able to repair his head after a serious car accident, and the Israeli soldier chose not to shoot him.

After some time Margaret chimed in. "In Africa, there is so much violence. It all comes down to education." She is in her 60's, and has determined that she would like to spend as much of her life volunteering as possible. She served in the Peace Corps in Ghana, and volunteered with WISER in Kenya. She is now in my orientation unit, going to serve with L'Arche intentional community for people with disabilities in Cork, Ireland.

In the asparagus patch I felt the presence of the divine, guiding my path and teaching me along the way. The seeds of peace are planted in all these places of need around the world. The seeds of peace are planted on this small farm in Indiana. May peace be planted in all of our hearts, so that violence and judgement may cease, and that we may be changed.