Between the Lines

Random reflections from the youth in a juvenile correctional facility.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

True peace is the presence of justice

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice.”
Dr. Martin Luther King

What does Dr. King mean by “true peace”?
What would be another way to describe “absence of tension”?
How can you achieve true peace in your life?


By true peace Dr. King means everyone is getting along and treated equally and there are no more crimes being made. The ending of racism could be described as absence of tension. I can achieve peace in my life when I can be able to take care of me and my family. MB

Martin Luther King means by true peace is to be free and have rights. Absence of tension would mean to get comfortable. JK

I can achieve peace by not getting any more charges by me having to go to court again. Also stay home to care, love, respect, and support my parents and family. WC

True peace is not merely the absence of stress or conflict, it is addressing illegal behaviors, things or situations. Another way to describe “absence of tension” is the absence of stress or conflict. The way I can achieve true peace in my life is by confronting the negative and illegal behaviors in this environment at especially in my community. Turn all the bad things and people to good things and people. CW

He want the world to be peaceful. Stressing always worrying and always mad create tension. To bring peace stop doing the negative stuff and start doing the positive. DH

King probably meant everyone gets along (true peace). Another way to describe absence of tension would be that nobody is against anybody else. To me, true peace means that everyone gets along, there is no war, and everyone’s happy. DM

True peace means for things to be fair everyone should be treated the same. Then the minority will feel at peace or there won’t be anyone feeling mistreated. I can achieve true peace by staying out of trouble and to be with my daughter and family. BC

True peace is just that: everybody loves each other. What I mean is different races loving each other and not saying racist things. The absence of tension is that there is no more getting nervous when a minority sees a white cop and gets scared. It’s when white guys see minority and get scared that they might rob them. That is tension. When that’s gone, we have absence of tension. VM

Dr. King means that he wants true peace for the world and his family like he wants peace. Another way to describe absence of tension is that all of the things that you're going through in life, all of the good things that I go through I can achieve peace by me being home with my family and friends and girl living a good life and going to school, working, having my car to pack up and ride around in going to family cookouts. That's what I can achieve with true peace. SB

What I think Dr. King meant by true peace is not doing the little things that are not necessary and just living life without anything to worry about. I can achieve true peace in my life by only being near the people that love me and do not bring drama. MR

I think what that means is that to get along with one another and don't cause trouble at least try and what I think absence of tension is to stress and when you are in that spot you should think of clearing your mind and take deep breaths and do what I have to do to achieve peace. AG

I think Dr. King means by true peace is peace with yourself and the world around you and not worrying about someone doing something to you. I think the absence of tension is not feeling any way about anyone around you. JA

People not messing with each other. If there was no tension between people the world will be a whole lot better. To achieve peace in my life, I need to just stick to myself and worry about me. HR

He means he would like to have peace for real not have fake peace or people fronting. He wants people to truly have peace. I think you could say world friendship as another way to describe "absence of tension." I can try to become a more positive person and try to make friends not enemies. NC

Complete peace - no violence or anything of that nature. No bad vibes from one another. I don't think I can achieve true peace. I'm not a very peaceful person from my point of view. SS

True peace means to have everybody live together as one and not have segregation. Another way to describe absence of tension would be to just get along with people and try to come to the best agreements possible. I can achieve true peace in my life by getting out of here and showing my family that I care about them more than before. I will show them by being responsible and staying out of trouble. CH

3 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

HIS Kingdom come, Thy WILL BE done on Earth as it is in HEAVEN ...;

in speaking of Heaven,
perhaps he knew and could see of his worth, Dr. Martin Luther King quote: "True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice.”

TRUE PEACE, REAL JUSTICE??
found only in the ONE who obeyed and conquered by listening to who would CHAMPION TRUE PEACE & REAL JUSTICE => CHRIST: John 14:6
“I am The Way — yes, and The Truth and The Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me. 7 If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know Him — and have seen Him!” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A6-7&version=TLB)

also John 15:9-17
9-10 “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.

11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.

16 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.

17 “But remember the root command: Love one another.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A10-17&version=MSG)

also ...

Believe in Heaven or no;
then why are you in a living hell?

The WAY of REAL PEACE:
http://biblehub.com/isaiah/59-8.htm

They don't know the way of peace. There's no justice on their highways. They've made their paths crooked. Whoever walks on them will never know peace.

or
NET Bible
(http://biblehub.com/net/isaiah/59.htm)

They are unfamiliar with peace; their deeds are unjust. They use deceitful methods, and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.

SEEK REAL PEACE, REAL JUSTICE!

Act in Prayer, Prayer in ACTION is HIS MIRACLE, CHRIST !

Believe in Heaven or no;
then why are you in a living hell?

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice.”

6:24 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

WHat?

11:05 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

In my childhood I had a violent father who would beat my 3 brothers, my sister and I. My mom did not know how to make him stop. She would say " Shhh, the neighbors can hear" hoping to get my father to stop.
To me getting beaten, in my anger, it was almost like my mom was making quiet more important than our safety and wellness.
"You don't want the neighbors to hear that you are beating the kids." How embarrassing would that be?

If my father had been arrested and taken away, taken to a place where he could get counseling and change or just we got away from him so we were no longer subjected to abuse then we may have found a place of peace.

If for a few days my dad was in a good mood and so didn't beat us their would have been a break in the tension but he could still beat us anytime he wanted.So for us their was always fear, always a tension knowing we were always in danger and nothing bad happened to him when he beat us.

Justice is when people don't choose to get violent with otjers for whatever reason.
Justice is when someone no longer hurts another because they know that they will be harshly punished.Justice is when people don't live in fear because the terror, violence or threat has been removed.
Justice is a balance. When the scales are balanced people don't get away with violence against the vulnerable.
Justice is like the laws of the universe. Letting people get away with violence creates fear and tension. Holding everybody to the same standard lets everyone know that violence will not be tolerated. Then no one feels that they can get away with disturbing the peace.
Justice upholds the peace.

If someone is getting away with violence, just because you don't see the tension doesn't mean its not there. When people are living in fear there is tension.

When people finally protest in the street that is not the start of tension, that is them saying " Look just because you werent seeing the violence doesn't mean it has not been happening to us for a long time.

My father used to hit us and say "Stop your crying, I'll give you something to cry about." He trained us to " suck it up" and be silent when we were being beaten.

One day when he started hitting me I screamed as loud as I could. I think it scared him and he stopped.He didn't stop for good though.

I didn't realize that was my protest at the time. It was like I was saying " f*** the neighbors hearing! I want them to hear! F*** you! This needs to stop! I will not stay silent. You will not get to hide your violence. I will not be complicit in your abuse. People will know what you are doing.
No justice, no peace for you.
If what just is is violence, there is no peace. If I have to live in fear, someone is going to know. If what just is is violence I will not remain quiet about it.
Violence is not peace.
If you want peace you must stop the violence.
If you are violent, I will make noise, what is must be known. It is up to you, if you want peace, you must be full of peace. If you are violent you are not peaceful.
Violence= no peace.
Peace= no violence.
No violence= no fear= no tension= peace.

7:43 PM  

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