Adam Bray reflects on his peace walk

Day 2: Thanksgiving: A Day or a Way?

This is what I'm thinking about as I walk today.

I like to walk alone on country paths,
rice plants and wild grasses on both sides,
putting each foot down on the earth
in mindfulness, knowing
that I walk on the wondrous earth.
In such moments, existence is a miraculous
and mysterious reality.
People usually consider walking on water
or in thin air a miracle.
But I think the real miracle
is not to walk either on water or in thin air,
but to walk on earth.
Every day we are engaged in a miracle
which we don't even recognize:
a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves,
the black, curious eyes of a child--
our own two eyes.
All is a miracle.
    --Thich Nhat Hanh, Miracle of Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh to me, in this poem, represents the essence of what Thanksgiving should be all about. Being truly grateful and thankful for life so much that you can recognize the miracle in absolutely everything around you is truly a gift. One that I wish I had. Can you imagine a world where everyone was as thankful and as grateful as Thich Nhat Hanh? What is being thankful all about? Is it saying, "Thank you God" in a prayer or does it involve your whole way of living? Is being grateful reflected in the way a person lives his or her life? Science is showing these days the powerful linkage between gratefulness and good health. Those who are more grateful are shown to live much happier lives and exhibit stronger immune systems. People who are inclined to be more thankful have also been found to be much more empathetic, more likely to be described as a good and caring friend, and exhibit a higher tendency to volunteer and work with those who are less fortunate.

There is an obvious interrelatedness between being truly thankful and living the way in which Jesus taught us to live. This shouldn't be a huge surprise. Once we stop comparing ourselves to the few who have more than us, and compare ourselves to the majority of the world that barely gets by, we magically begin to feel more content, more thankful, and happier with our lives. If people saw everything in the world as a miracle, would we treat this world differently? I think so.

Today I'm walking and I'm trying to see miracles. If the weather in Western WA is as Thich Nhat Hanh describes it, it will be a miracle!

One of my favorite hymns goes, "Let there be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me." Right now, I'm filled with tension, uncertainty, fear, and a little bit of anger. I'm filled with some good emotions too, but the negative ones are what keeps me from being peace. I'm trying to see the miracles all around me so I can extinguish those negative feelings and cultivate true thanksgiving. Each miracle I notice is another step towards being peace. This walk is a walk for peace and it's also a walk to be peace. Let it begin with me. This is what I'm thinking about as I'm walking today.

Last updated: November 26, 2002