Pushing the rock of peace up the mountain of peace and social justice with a noodle

It does indeed get tiring participating in this marathon, always having to continue on to the finish line, which sadly is nowhere in sight. It does indeed take its toll, having to write one more mail, make one more phone call, write one more article or blog post, or talkback, plan one more activity.

The marathon to peace and social justice is indeed very tiring, and appears endless and often sysiphic. Like trying to push a rock up a mountain, during a storm and avalanche, with a noodle. And a wet one at that

So the question is, how to keep up the race?
How to continue to the 'finish line', when it is nowhere in sight?
How to continue to work for a vision that is continually belittled and sabotaged by others?

We people who are involved in peace and social justice building activities, of one sort or another, do a lot of self-persuasion. "There is no other way"; "What is the alternative - to do nothing?" "One day our message will get across" "I am doing this so that I can leave this life knowing that at least I tried." As a rule, these self-persuasions work, but at times, they become very flimsy, almost transparent, nearly invisible, weak to the point of breaking.

These are the times when we need the support of others, to bolster us when we are on the verge of throwing up our hands in despair and looking for an isolated island, far from the ugliness of our world.

We will most likely be able to retain our commitment, if when our back is breaking from our endless efforts to get that peace rock up to the top of the mountain, using the wet macaroni or lasagna noodle, as we battle the avalanche and storm, that we remember all of our dear friends, whom we know or have yet to meet, who are by our side, in this uphill marathon.

We have better chances of retaining our commitment if we remember that each friend 'from the other side', each dialogue with someone who does not share our passion for this peace journey, each blogpost sent out to an electronic virtual reality, changes something in our world, however very, very, very, very small that change may be.

This blogpost is another attempt at self-persuasion. As I write these words, I wonder how much I truly believe them. But as I write these words, I also know that there is no other way, other than to carry on. That the mountain is calling to the rock, and that my noodle, while wet, is still serving me well.