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The Missing Peace: How the Written Word Motivates the Soul

By The Living Breathing James Brown

April 22, 2019

Look closely at the books in the picture.

There sits the Quran. Beside it, the Bible. Next to them rests The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History by Ibn Khaldun—the classic Islamic history of the world. And finally, my own contributions to the written word: the A Panther’s Father series.

Now, I ask you: Which one grabs your eye, Christian?

Which one calls to you, Muslim?

And to the Avid Reader, the seeker of truth—which one holds your attention?

The answer is not as simple as pointing a finger. The importance of each is like looking at a field of wildflowers; you cannot claim one is beautiful and the others are not without losing the beauty of the whole field. So, let us ask a better question, one that cuts to the bone of our existence: Which book will enrich my life the most?

This question is the key to Peace. Peace does not appear out of thin air; Peace comes from how a People are Motivated.

The Weight of Words

Reading is the greatest motivational tool we possess. Each religious sect holds its own literature dear, using it to aid the wandering soul. And let’s be honest—life can be a tumbler. It shakes even the strongest wills. It has highs that touch the clouds and lows that scrape the bottom of the ocean.

As you look at these books, I ask you: Which one represents Peace to you? To your Country? To your Family?

I see Peace as a fragile thing, currently waning in the distance like a setting sun. Fewer and fewer voices are speaking up for it. I think of President Jimmy Carter, a man who carried Peace in his heart. To a Warmonger, a man like Carter is an enemy. Why? Because those who seek War do not want Peace anywhere near them. They seek only the glory of battle and the finality of death.

But Peace is what I wish to convey to you. As an old man, a U.S. Army Veteran who once trained for War, I have learned the folly of conflict. I have listened to the real Veterans, and now, in the autumn of my life, I seek the total opposite of destruction. I SEEK PEACE FOR ALL.

The Ease of War vs. The Work of Peace

War is easy! Provocation is child’s play—simple as 1-2-3. Ignorant people with evil agendas can start a war before breakfast. But finding the Peace that God offers? That takes strength.

Why does a World Leader do what they do? The answer is simple: Acceptability. They do what appeases the masses.

A country of Barbarians wants a Barbaric Leader.
A country of Lovers wants a Leader who promotes Love.
A country that seeks Balance looks for a Leader who steadies the ship.

If you went fishing, you’d bring a pole and bait, not a weapon. So why, when we seek to understand our neighbors, do we bring hatred instead of curiosity?

I recommend the Bible and the Quran equally. These are not trivial books. They are the foundations of civilizations. If you travel to a foreign land and disrespect their sacred text, you unleash the bowels of Hades. Neither of these great books authorizes the killing of the other’s people—that is a twisted tune taught by the foolish to the ignorant. Ignorance begets ignorance. Violence begets violence.

The Bridge of History: Ibn Khaldun

But there is a third book on my list, one that is a difficult climb but offers a view from the mountaintop: The Muqaddimah.

This is not 5th-grade reading. It is a scholarly masterpiece by the 14th-century scholar Ibn Khaldun. If you mindfully muscle your way through it, you will know more about Islamic History than 99% of the people on this Earth. You will read of the “Copper City” in the desert, of men with mental powers so vast they could eviscerate cattle in the fields using only their minds—powers born of deep meditation or Divine Aid.

To understand the world, you must understand how we all got here. You must read the books of other religions to understand their Laws and their Hearts.

A Vision of the Divine

Years ago, a woman told me I had blasphemed HOLY GOD HIMSELF simply because I was reading the Quran.

I asked her, “Do you think God protects the Muslim more than the Christian?”

I wish—Lord, I do so wish—that every man, woman, and child could have been with me when God allowed a vision upon me while I lay in the hospital, my heart stopped, dead to this world.

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL.

In that place, I saw the Universe. I saw way past what the Hubble Telescope can see. I did not see God’s face, but I felt His Undying Love. It was overwhelming Joy. Imagine riding the steepest drop of a roller coaster—that thrill in your stomach—magnified by a thousand. It was Euphoria.

In that place, PEACE RULED SUPREME.

I realized that everything God knew, I knew, because I had become part of Him. There was no division. There was no “us” and “them.” There was only happiness.

The Drums of War

Sadly, here on Earth, I hear the faint drums of War beating in the distance again.

I am not a diplomat. I am not on the Government payroll. I am mindful of the Logan Act; I am a private citizen, not an agent of the state. But as a human being, I offer you this symbolic olive branch: PEACE.

Will you offer me Peace in return?

We must end this cycle of death—like the attacks we have seen in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. If Christians and Muslims took the time to read each other’s sacred books, they would find we have more in common than we ever thought possible.

Peace can only come by how People are Motivated.

So, what motivates you? Love? Hate? War? Or Peace?

I look forward to the day I return to that vision I saw in the hospital. But until then, I ask you to be brave enough to join me in a prayer for World Peace.

Seek Peace, and God will grant it.

God Bless,

The Living Breathing James Brown

US Army Veteran, Author of the “A Panther’s Father” Book Series