Nine people were shot within an 8 hour time period last night in Chicago…does that shock you? Well if we look at numbers it might not be a shock, there are roughly 2.7million people living in the city of Chicago so 9 people out of 2.7million doesn’t seem so bad. Well before you start thinking that it is OK that 9 people were shot last night let me tell you that it is NOT! How many people do you think live in one square mile in Chicago? Just under 12,000 is the answer, the avg. in the state of IL is 231 per square mile so imagine every square mile being a small village. The city is about 234 square miles so that means it’s like having 234 villages; I expand on the numbers like this to help you visualize what the city looks like in numbers.
Our society runs and lives off of numbers, in social services its always checking that you are reaching your numbers in clients and client chargeable hours. At church there’s always a head count to determine if the preacher is doing a good job (at least at congregational type churches.) Obviously in business numbers is the life blood to a profitable year. At the deli counter you suddenly become number 55…why are we surrounded by these numbers? I understand the need for having these numbers as part of our life but, have we gone so far with it that we determine how we are going to react to life based on those numbers? For those of you in Chicago, how many times did you look to see what the temperature was today? It was 81 degrees in Chicago today but most people did not know that 9 people were shot last night so we rather take that 81 as long as it makes us feel better. What we don’t realize is that those 9 people have family and friends and surely that number goes way past 81.
The process of Peace is difficult and that too has a number, ONE. It is likely the hardest number because it identifies YOU. Adding ONE to another number is easy but quickly is absorbed by that larger number but that ONE is still in there which is you. That means that once that number is part of a greater number it becomes locked into an obligation to be that greater number. Once you are part of that 12,000 in a square mile that means you are obligated to be ONE of 12,000. You could choose to not be part of that 12,000 but then you would lose what that 12,000 benefits from collectively. I might be losing you with all these numbers to simply say that Peace starts with ONE person.
One person in that 12,000 might have access to employment opportunities.
One person in that 12,000 might be a doctor.
One person in that 12,000 might be a minister.
One person in that 12,000 might be a social worker.
One person in that 12,000 might be your loved one…wouldn't you do all that you could do for that ONE loved one?
We are all in the position to create Peace as that ONE in 12,000 and if in one square mile those 12,000 could work on creating Peace, violence would be reduced.
I ask you to please add yourself to me on this movement for Peace in our society because it will take each and every one of us to make it happen.
Peace/AMOR
Gerardo
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