I’ve been traveling a lot recently, all within the US, so I am grateful for the comparatively short days of 12 hours of travel, as opposed to my record-breaking 52 hour epic journey to a village in India last year. I enjoy meeting with so many new people and old friends and supporters.

One man who fits into the latter category is “Doc Streeter”, he was the pastor at Paoli Presbyterian Church, where I grew up and where my parents still attend regularly. Doc has known me since I was about 9 years old, he has seen me grow, move, travel, explore and a few other things that I don’t want to admit to.

Anyway, he is now a retired pastor and is as active as ever in connecting with people, listening, cheering at sports games, sharing meals, laughter, conversation and support. Doc has taken a very strong interest in my creation of Hands to Hearts and because of this I have had the amazing experience of getting to know him in entirely new ways, I would even call it a mature adult friendship. I have learned that in his first years of service, he was at a rural church in Arkansas and was there supporting and walking alongside the African American community as they marched for their rights. He remembers being called all sorts of names and was banished by many in the white community. When he told me about this, he did not make himself out to be a hero, he was not trying to convert anyone into his religion; he simply stated that he was “doing what was right.” I greatly admire his stance and his actions. He did not and does not differentiate, or classify people by their religions, politics, color, history, or any number of other social codes. He sees people as people. What would be possible if we could all be so clear sighted in our views and eloquent in our actions?

At the end of our recent breakfast, Doc smiled and said, “you know what you are doing is creating world peace, right?” I didn’t really know how to respond to this… Was he serious? I paused, considered and then cleared away all my insecurities and ego. I smiled, nodded and I do not know how else to say that I felt – that beingness, and that “being” was a little piece of world peace. Doc recognizes that by starting by loving the babies, continuing to love the children and keeping on loving all of us – regardless of age and all the other factors I already listed – just imagine what our world could look like?

I am proud to say that I am a piece of world peace, as is Doc Streeter, and all of you, for YOU are the reason we can make this possible – individually, in families, in communities and in society. My wish is not for a “global economy”, this is only a component of any society, I wish for a “global community”, one based in the simple actions of love, kindness, forgiveness.

I have 2 requests for you. First, acknowledge how you already contribute to world peace. Second, consider how else you can “be world peace” and make a promise at this link below for Peace One Day.