Protests, Ebola, terrorist activitiy, there seems to be a lot of unrest this Advent season. Natalie Hilton, a member of the Dakotas Conference Council or Youth Ministries (CCYM) and Grace United Methodist Church in Piedmont, South Dakota shares her views of the struggles for peace and justice in our world in a poem.

World Peace

I am born, March 6 of 1998.

Into a world where

the Irish have passed a peace agreement

and an Indonesian dictator

steps down from power.

And at a glance, this seems that the world is

Making peace with all inhabited.

But those are world news.

Back in January, our president was accused of a sex scandal,

with the country in a panic,

only months later would a horrid hate crime

leave a gay student fatally beaten.

But those are nation’s news.

I am born, reborn that is,

just out of eighth grade,

Living in a world where

a suicide bomber in Iraq kills 53

and 100 people are killed over their ethnic differences.

Living in a country that’s ‘free?’

 it’s easy to turn our cheek.

I am existing

In this world where I’m told my voice matters

But when it gets to that point?

I am hushed.

In this world where

religion dominates our decisions,

and every act of hate is a alleged product of race.

When we raise our guns,

and we grow in ignorance,

We lose sight of being humane

And we forget the word ‘love.’

Love is more than a word between

a couple.

It is the mutual understanding that we all coexist,

in peace and harmony.

I am exhausted from living in this world where

children are bombed

families are destroyed

by murderers claiming: ‘It’s for our God.’

I have had enough

of watching the death toll rise;

of watching countries be torn apart.

I’ve had enough of

‘Religious’ wars.

What a pathetic excuse for killing.

May this be my plea

Yeah, I’m just a teen,

and maybe I don’t have the world entirely figured out

But I know right from wrong

And when push comes to shove

I want to see children smiling

not starving.

I want to see people falling in love

Not bombing the idea.

And more than anything?

I want to see world peace.

Maybe it’s a Miss America answer;

but,

I want us all to be at peace,

because that’s the way we were created to be.