Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Who is the Farm of Peace?


The Farm of Peace is an oasis, a place of rest and refreshment.  It is a hope, a dream, a prayer.  It is a sanctuary.  We create it for ourselves, for our friends, our brothers and sisters, our children and their children, for the world’s children.  It is a quiet place away from a dizzying world.
Who is the Farm of Peace?  We are the Farm.  We carry the message.  We carry it in our hearts and convey it in our thoughts, our words and deeds.  We come to the Farm to drink and to refresh ourselves, our sense of purpose and our connection; and we carry that into the world.
We are stewards of this beautiful gift.  Those who live on or near the Farm and all those who visit, strive to honor the deep commitment made to this vision and to keep the physical place vibrant.  There are roads to maintain, clear, plow and resurface.  There are animals to feed, lambs to birth, and sheep to slaughter.   There are bees to raise, honey to extract, eggs to gather, gardens to hoe, plant, weed and harvest.  There are fruit trees to nourish, protect and enjoy.  There are berries to plant and pick; pies to make and muffins to bake.  There are lessons to plan, children to teach, games to play and hikes to take.  There are trees to fell, logs to split, wood to carry and fires to build.
And then there are hearts to mend.  There are workshops to hold, announcements to make, mailing lists to update, newsletters to write, messages to send, phones to answer.  There are windows to wash, beds to change, floors to mop, laundry to wash, dry and put away.  And there are meals to prepare, shopping to do, menus to plan, tables to set and kitchens to clean. There are practices at dawn and prayers five times each day, dhikrs twice a week with Jumuah on Friday.  And there are special events each summer when our holy guide pays us a visit or children come to play in week-long camps. 
And all this is done in service to the vision, to create a place of peace and renewal for all those who wish to come.  But the land in Warfordsburg is not the Farm.  We are the Farm.  Each of us is the Farm.  The Farm of Peace, the non-profit is you and me and we are what make up the Farm of Peace.

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