Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Francis of Assisi  With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it seems to me that peace- both personal and world-wide- is intimately connected with love. For you to consider; following are some quotes from various sources, and two moving poems, one by Maya Angelou, and the other by Wendell Berry. “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.” ― Dali Lama                                                                               Hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love.” Martin Luther King, Jr   A BRAVE AND STARTLING TRUTH by Maya Angelou We, this people, on a small and lonely planet Traveling through casual space Past aloof stars, across the way of indifferent suns To a destination where all signs tell us It is possible and imperative that we learn A brave and startling truth And when we come to it To the day of peacemaking                                                                            When we release our fingers From fists of hostility And allow the pure air to cool our palms When we come to it When the curtain falls on…….