I have been proud to be part of the Peace Center and stand with all people who want peace. Sometimes a situation arises where it seems clear which “side” peace is on. In reality, it isn’t that simple because we all see from our own perspectives and we understand based on our own experiences. From time to time, I have written things here that someone disagrees with. And I appreciate all of you who are willing to speak up and dialogue with me about it because we both grow and get a chance to see the bigger picture.

Here in Montana, many people note with pride how many generations of their family have lived in this state and nurtured a sense of belonging here. We are just beginning to understand the full costs of that belonging to the people who lived on and cared for this land before white Europeans arrived. As I watch the increasing violence in Israel and Palestine, there are similar themes of colonization, oppression and destruction.

The Missoula Peace Sign is on the path to reunification. It will become permanently installed at the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, at last giving substance to the legend and the long-held community vision that all nine pieces will be reassembled. Once unified, the Missoula Peace Sign will become a monument to resilience and a gathering place for people seeking a reflective moment.

This week a friend shared this quote from Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr., “This is an inaugural moment. It’s a beginning; it’s not an end. I’ve said it before: justice is a practice.” It was a great reminder to me that we often set our sights on a goal – like racial justice, the end of war or a more sustainable planet – and forget that all these goals are also personal practices that we must nurture and begin again each day.

To some peace conjures up something soft, comfortable and relaxing. But doing the work of peace is very often messy, uncomfortable, time-consuming and even dangerous. Thinking about being a peace builder in today’s world can be daunting.