Looking for Peace on Earth

I hope this finds you headed for warm and glad celebrations of whatever year-end holidays you may observe. And whatever the coming days mean to you, all of us at Horizons wish you a happy new year.

"Peace on Earth"?

As one year fades into history and another is born, I usually try to take a bit of time to reflect. That doesn’t mean that I always emerge with great profundities. It simply means taking more than just a moment, as best I can, to free myself from the usual year-end rush of activity. And pause, remember to breathe, and reflect.

This year, I’ve been thinking about those words so often heard at this time of year: “Peace on Earth.” Whatever the phrase’s origins, it’s hard to top as a holiday sentiment. The wish is all but universal. Right now, though, peace on earth can seem mighty far away. Conflicts ravage countries across the world, while here, the national mood feels harsher and more fractious than many of us can ever remember. If you’re having trouble seeing peace this season, you’re not the only one.

Other kinds of peace

I imagine we all know that peace can be found even amidst such tumult and dissension. There is, for example, the peace we may find in our families, which, in our community, take an astonishing and quite glorious multitude of forms.

There’s also the peace found in community. Yes, there’s plenty that LGBTQ people disagree about. But when the proverbial chips are down, we’ve been there for one another, time and time again. And I know we will see that still once again in the difficult times ahead.

I find there’s still another kind of peace: the peace that comes with knowing that our fight is the good fight. The peace of being powered by commitments to justice, to freedom, to equity. The peace of being powered, yes, by love.

And still further beyond even that lies the peace – and the power – of simply knowing that our struggles as LGBTQ people are all part of history’s one great fight for justice and simple human dignity. That struggle – our common struggle – arches through the centuries. And I know that you – and all of Horizons’ supporters, grantees, and allies – are joined in that fight.

Peace doesn’t have to mean that everything is perfect. Peace comes in so many forms. I hope that you experience days – or at least precious moments – of it as we let 2024 go, and greet 2025.

Thank you for all that you do to support not only Horizons, but our great shared struggle.