.

The Meaning of Peace
by Unknown
 

There once was a King who offered a
prize to the artist who would paint the
best picture of peace. Many artists tried.
The King looked at all the pictures, but
there were only two he really liked, and
he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The
lake was a perfect mirror for the
peaceful towering mountains all around
it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy
white clouds. All who saw this picture
thought that it was a perfect picture of
peace.

The second picture had mountains, too.
But these were rugged and bare. Above
was an angry sky from which rain fell,
and in which lightening played. Down
the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming
waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the King looked, he saw behind
the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack
in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had
built her nest. There, in the midst of the
rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on
her nest.... a picture of a perfect peace.

Which of the pictures won the prize? The
King chose the second picture. Do you
know why?

"Because," explained the King, "peace
does not mean to be in a place where
there is no noise, trouble or hard work.
Peace means to be in the midst of all
those things and still be calm in your
heart. That is the real meaning of peace."