A prayer for peace by the hasidic Zaddik, Nahman (ben Simhah) of Bratslav (1772-1811) Lord of Peace O Lord and King of peace, who makes peace and creates all things: Help all of us, that we may forever adhere to the concept of peace, so that true and abundant peace prevail between man and man, between husband and wife, and no strife seperate mankind even in thought. You make peace in your heavens, You bring contrary elements harmoniously together; Extend abundant peace to us and to the whole world, so that all discords be resolved in great love and peace, and with one mind and one heart all come near to you and your law in truth, and all form one union to do your will with a whole heart. O Lord of peace, bless us with peace. ["Language of Faith - A Selection from the most expressive Jewish prayers",Gathered and Edited by Nahum N. Glatzer, Schocken Books, NY,1975] A Teenagers prayer from Harare, Zimbabwe: God, help me to be human. Help me to be able to appreciate and bring out the best in everyone around me. You have created man, so that he is capable to appreciate consciously all the gifts that you have given him. Lord, help me to appreciate all that you have given to every person including myself. Help me to be truly human." Please feel free to add your own prayers, thoughts or meditations (any tradition/denomination) to this thread. Our poor world needs all the positive energy and good will we can give it! The Vanilla Fudge were about the inherant dignity of all people and ideas brought together in a spirit of peace,love, good will and harmony.

A reading from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Nothing in our glittering technology can raise man to new heights, because material growth has been made an end in itself, and, in the absence of moral purpose, man himself becomes smaller as the works of man become bigger. Gargantuan industry and government, woven into an intricate computerized mechanism, leave the person outside. The sense of participation is lost, the feeling that ordinary individuals influence important decisions vanishes, and man becomes seperated and diminished. "When an individual is no longer a true participant, when he no longer feels a sense of responsibility to his society, the content of democracy is emptied. When culture is degraded and vulgarity enthroned, when the social system does not build security but induces peril, inexorably the individual is impelled to pull away from a souless society. This process produces alienation - perhaps the most pervasive and insidious development in contemporary society." ["The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.", Selected by Coretta Scott King, Newmarket Press,1983]

Hi People, Well, the news isn't good out of Korea. A high placed defector from North Korea says war may be eminent. I think all of us can agree that the last thing our world needs is another Asian war. Of course other horrors are proceeding in central Africa, Northern Ireland,and elsewhere. Let's continue in whatever prayers or positive energy you can give for our troubled world. It's needed as much now as ever before. Peace, Bill