Fernye had a secret in reference to that also. She had been keeping in touch with Stan. George was there on diplomatic relations ….and Stan was always there by his side, learning much.
Though the peace process was making headway, it always seemed to fall short of the grand expectations. This is where Fernye's secret came into play. She had outlined precisely what she felt Stan should do.
Stan had been silent up until now. But this was his advantage. When he finally did speak, it took both George and the others in the meeting by surprise. Stan stands up, "I do not understand how you are to arrive at peace through demands, compromise, and concessions. It is not fair to ask someone to give up something, especially with no clear understanding of how important it is to them. Therefore, I would like to spend one week with each of the representative groups here: to tour each and every one of your countries, enter your homes and holy places, and to experience your visions."
And that's exactly what happens. Stan and George are treated as honored guests. And as they walk about the land, there is total peace for that first week, the second week, and on through to the prearranged seventh week ---after each representative group had taken their turn in playing host to this living experience.
The seventh week they meet again. This meeting has a very different tone to it. It is similar to the first meeting by the fact that it is all men, but this time …the men do not appear so harsh.
Stan has a broad smile as he addresses his newly acquainted friends, "For the first seven days after we last met, there was peace. Into the second week and through the third, there was peace. As we went forth through the fourth, and challenged the doubts of so many by completing the fifth, it seemed inversely improbable that we would not find peace for a sixth and seventh week. Now today, I ask each of you, how long will the peace last?"
Stan continues to capture their interest, "When the peace lasted seven days, few believed it could last a second week. Now that it has lasted seven weeks, I ask you, how much longer do you believe it can last? But before you answer that, let me share with you something I've experienced with each and every one of you through those seven weeks. I did not experience a difference of people. What I felt was a common bond, not any difference significant enough to have fought for, the centuries over. Truly, there has been fighting and hatred ---but not over what any of you truly represent. You've been fighting over a misplaced emotion. You've been fighting over a hurt in the past. You continue to hurt each other in the most horrific ways, over a misunderstanding of the past. And unless it stops, and you've shown that you can stop it, your children and your children's children will be fighting over what you are fighting over today. They will not understand it, but they will fight because you have fought. You will not pass on to them a blessing, as fathers should pass on to their children, but you will pass on to them your pain. You will pass on to them the fight."
Stan looks about. They are listening to him. Over the course of the past weeks, he's endeared himself to them. "And when they die ---when your children die ---your wives will cry and perhaps you will cry, if you have any tears left in you. But most likely you will continue to do what you've been doing ---you will go out and kill again. But let me make one thing clear. When you kill ---be not mistaken, the children will not die because of some stranger you presently call your enemy. The children will die because of you. You are killing your own children because you choose to pass on the fight. It is because of you!! If we filled this room with each of your families' infants, they would get along. But if we allowed you to visit them, they would perish at each others' hands ---all because of your hatred."
Stan leans forward, whispering loudly, "I beg of you, go home and love your children. And if one person kills another, don't hate that people. Teach your children to hate the hatred. Admit your mistakes and join together in communion and heal the land. I've communed with each of you. I've felt each of your hurts, but I cannot feel your hate. You have let the past drive you apart. I beg you to let the past heal you. Let me share with you what I have learned over these seven weeks. Let me share with you what you've shared with me."
Stan lifts two large books, pressed together between his two large hands. He places them on the table in front of him and leans forward, resting his hands upon them, "The past is your foundation. The past is your cornerstone. If you destroy the cornerstones of your beliefs, at the very most ---all you have is a struggle for meaning. And within that struggle, you make up a reason why death is not only unavoidable, but that makes it preferable. You've used the past to destroy, rather than to heal. And you've destroyed the light in your children's eyes."
Suddenly, the lights go out. Gasps are heard throughout the room. It catches everyone by surprise. They sit in darkness.
Suddenly, a light shines beneath Stan's face. Stan holds a flashlight beneath his face, "And all they see is an unclear vision of your face. Our children's eyes see no light shed upon any foundation. And they can no longer see the true light seen through the founding fathers' eyes."
The lights go back on. Stan sets the flashlight on the floor and rests his hands upon the books on the table in front of him, "The founding fathers of what you believe, your patriarchs, did not lead you to peace. But neither did they direct you to war. Take Abraham, for instance, he dearly loved both his children. But he could not find peace in his own household. There was great strife. We cannot read of the account without feeling the pain, without feeling the hurt. But we've taken that hurt and created that as our banner. We've become so all consumed in our hurt that we fail to read on. We fail to read on about the healing that was supposed to have already taken place. The hurt was passed on, but the healing was not. When Abraham died, Ishmael and Isaac, with the common bond of the love of their father, joined together to bury Abraham. They buried their differences for that moment. They reconciled. But did the reconciliation pass on, or did the hurt? Isaac's two sons, Esau and Jacob, found no peace, even within themselves. Esau went to Ishmael to find peace and a wife. Jacob tried to find peace by working seven years for a wife, yet found the seven years would not reveal that which he had hoped for."
One of the men, rises slowly, "It is true. I have carried my hatred too long. I would, that my son would die, before I would part with my anger and my hatred. But I will stand up and confess my error, to my people. As Ishmael and Isaac joined together to bury their father, I will bury my differences. I have stood against my own son, my only son, because of his desire to marry one whom I am not willing to accept. And I stand before you today, with no reason, other than pride, to stand in the way. So, as Jacob gave seven years of work, I am willing to turn our seven weeks of seven days, ---into seven years. I would like all of you here to believe that we can extend our seven weeks into seven years of peace. And then why not seventy times seven, and save our children's children's children. Let us begin this peace agreement with a celebration of my son's wedding. Let me now return unto my son to give him my blessing. Let us celebrate together in giving all of our children the blessing they so desperately deserve ---the blessing of peace ---not the vile curse we have given them through war."
It was a slow and difficult process, but they had finally negotiated what most would consider ---world peace. Peace in the Middle East, that is.
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