Peace Starts With Me

Peace in our Words

Yesterday, we began our theme for the week, “Peace Starts With Me,” by looking at peace within ourselves. We spoke about controlling our anger, managing our reactions and understanding that even when we cannot control what happens around us, we can control how we respond.

Today, we take the next step: our words.

Words are something we use every single day, often without thinking much about them. We speak to our families, friends, colleagues, neighbours and strangers. We send messages, post on social media and share information with others.

But something as simple as a few words can have a lasting effect.

Our words can encourage someone, comfort someone and bring people together. But they can also hurt, embarrass, divide and create conflict.

Think before you speak

Most of us have probably experienced a situation where we said something in anger and immediately wished we could take it back.

When emotions are high, it is easy to speak without thinking. We might use a harsh tone, make an accusation or say something specifically designed to hurt the other person.

The problem is that once those words have been spoken, we cannot take them back.

This is why self-control is so important. Sometimes the most peaceful response is to pause before speaking.

Taking a few seconds to calm down can prevent an argument from becoming something much bigger.

And this applies not only to face-to-face conversations, but also to our phones and social media. When we’re angry, it can be very easy to type a message and press send immediately.

Perhaps we should sometimes ask ourselves:

“Is this something I really need to say, and will saying it improve the situation?”

Gossip and rumours

Another major threat to peace is gossip.

A story begins with one person, gets passed to another and then another. By the time it reaches the fifth or sixth person, it may be completely different from what actually happened.

Gossip can damage someone’s reputation, destroy friendships and create suspicion between people.

Islam places great importance on guarding our speech and avoiding spreading information that can harm others.

This is particularly important today because information can spread incredibly quickly. A WhatsApp message, voice note or social media post can reach hundreds or thousands of people within minutes.

Before we forward something, perhaps we should ask:

Do I know that this is true? Is it necessary for me to share it? And could it harm someone?

Sometimes, creating peace means simply refusing to pass something on.

Words that create peace

If words can create conflict, they can also create peace.

Think about how powerful a simple apology can be.

“I’m sorry.”

“I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

“Let’s resolve this.”

“I understand your point.”

These are simple words, but they can completely change the direction of a disagreement.

We should not underestimate the power of kindness either. A person may be having a difficult day, and a few encouraging words can make a difference.

Being a person who brings peace doesn’t mean that we always agree with everyone. We can disagree while remaining respectful.

Peace starts with me

So today’s message is simple:

Be careful with your words.

And when there is an opportunity to encourage, apologise, forgive or bring people together — use your words for that.