Walking for Peace: A Shared Journey for Peace Heard Through Silence

By Sister Chirya —

We spend a lifetime searching for peace. This frantic search creates the roots of exhaustion. Walk for Peace offers something quietly radical: collective permission to pause, slow down, reflect, and remember that peace is not only the absence of violence but also recognizes the value of compassion, restraint, and mindful living. 

In an era of burnout, climate anxiety, and moral fatigue, this pause enhances and develops the public good. It is about contemplation and awareness. 

The monks invite people to reflect on how to live, relate, and contribute to others. Acts of generosity, meditation, service, and ethical reflection are practices that translate across cultures, religions, and traditions. It legitimizes rest without guilt: not withdrawal from the world but engagement in it wisely.

The monks’ Walk of Peace makes the strength of silence visible. In a world where responses must be spoken instantly and loudly, the ‘presence’ of silence becomes a disciplined choice. This is not passivity; it is moral clarity. It is the refusal to mirror or absorb violence, verbal or otherwise, from the negative and sorrowful situations we seek to transform. 

The monks walking for peace are not walking toward a finish line. They are walking to remind us how we move through the world matters as much as what we achieve.

“Walk for Peace is not just a march; it is a silent call to awaken the humanity within us. Walking this path means choosing compassion over hatred. It is a voice where violence comes to a halt and empathy begins to speak.

“Every step reminds us that we are all human, sharing the same pain and the same dreams. This journey is not a political demand; it is a moral stand. Here, restraint is chosen over force, and forgiveness over revenge.

“Walk for Peace teaches us to walk together despite our differences. It is not an act of fear, but a practice of courage. A message of peace spoken through silence.

“May peace be our path, our identity, and our future.” (Matthew Earl)