a piece of peace.

notes on policing the path to peace...

If you’ve been anywhere near social media lately, you’ve likely seen the Theravāda monks who are walking from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. — a journey of roughly 2,300 miles, undertaken as a living prayer for peace.

It’s a noble effort. A quiet, steady, embodied offering. And one that has touched the hearts of many, including my own.

I find myself checking their live map more often than I’d like to admit. Watching the miles accumulate, tracking their progress, silently hoping they’re safe and supported. Making sure they (and Aloka, their companion dog) are okay. I can’t watch a video of them without becoming emotional — a mix of joy, tenderness, concern, and deep gratitude all at once.

When the monks passed through Georgia, I had multiple opportunities to see them in person and sit during their welcoming hours. I chose not to go. Not out of disinterest, but because I was too full. Too aware of the emotions moving through me. I wasn’t quite ready to sit with all of that in a public space, and I honored that.

And still, I am profoundly grateful.

Grateful not only for their message of peace, but for the awareness they are bringing to mindfulness and meditation. They are introducing these practices to people who may have never encountered them otherwise. Not through lectures or think pieces, but through presence. Through consistency. Through embodied intention.

And then… social media entered the chat.

Suddenly there were “think pieces.” Hot takes. Commentaries questioning people’s motives for showing up. Accusations that folks only wanted to see the monks for clout or content. People being called “ghetto” — a word loaded with racist undertones that, unsurprisingly, only seemed to surface when the monks were in Metro Atlanta, a predominantly POC area.

And all of it felt painfully ironic.

Because kindness — gentleness, patience, compassion — is exactly what the monks have been speaking about since the first step of their journey.

What became clear to me is this: many people don’t actually know what peace is.

Peace isn’t the absence of disruption. It isn’t silence, sameness, or comfort. Peace exists in relationship with disruption. You can’t know one without the other. The work isn’t to eliminate contrast — it’s to find balance. To allow peace to hold a bit more weight, even when things feel messy or unfamiliar.

Part of peace is allowing people to explore new ideas, practices, and ways of living on their own terms — whether we personally understand or approve of them or not. As long as no one is being harmed.

And I say this as a blood-washed Christian.

Is it my responsibility to share the love of Christ? Yes.
Is it my responsibility to force my beliefs onto others, or label everything I don’t understand as demonic or an attack from “the enemy”? Absolutely not.

If I truly believe that God is sovereign — that He created everything and allows all things to unfold for a reason, then why would I limit the ways He can move? Why would I assume He can only work through people who look, think, or believe exactly like me?

Scripture itself gives us plenty of examples of God using non-Christians to carry out acts of service, justice, and compassion.

Let’s not lose the plot.

Peace requires humility. Curiosity. Restraint. And a willingness to sit with discomfort without rushing to control it.

If this walk has stirred something in you, curiosity, tenderness, reverence, even questions, that’s not something to fear. That’s awareness awakening.

And if you feel called to support the monks, they have shared that they are currently unable to accept additional physical donations due to space limitations in their companion vehicle. Monetary donations are preferred at this time to help sustain the journey.

I’ll include the donation link below for those who feel moved to contribute.

May we learn to recognize peace not just when it’s quiet and familiar, but when it challenges us to soften, expand, and listen more deeply.

xo, Serena Nicole

If you would like to support and view a live tracker of the journey, you can find that by clicking here.