"The Goal of World Community with Peace, Liberty, and Justice for All"

As we light this chalice,

May its flame consume the forces of violence in the world;

May its heat warm the chill of misunderstanding and hate;

May its light brighten the lives of the sick of heart and mind.

Chalice, burn with the fire of peace and liberty.

from Jeff Liebmann

Nearly every religion preaches peace. And yet, our world still labors under the wraith of war,

omnipresent poverty, and persistent harbingers of hate. We will never achieve peace in the world until each and every one of us finds peace within our own hearts; a peace that cannot be attained while the body hungers, limbs are shackled, and free will lies imprisoned.

As Unitarian Universalists, we can appreciate the sentiments of prophets of peace throughout history.

We can also aspire to live lives in pursuit of peace for ourselves, our communities, our societies, and our world.

As our love is unconditional, so must our struggle for liberty for others be unqualified. Every human being has

the inherent right to live free, to love unrestricted, and to seek enlightenment via the path of their choice. We

are all only as free as the most fettered among us.

• Practice meditating for 10 minutes. Breathe in Peace… Breathe out Love!

• Fold a Peace Crane to remind you to build a peaceful world.

• Learn about the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals and talk with your family about what you can do to support them. www.un.org/millenniumgoals

• Watch the two minute animated video “I Will Be a Hummingbird” and talk with your family about what you can do to make the world a better and more peaceful place. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw