Children's Peace Rock Garden

(Peace Garden Dedication scheduled for October 11, 2002)

Peace Garden Rocks from West Chester for Mother and Dad

 

For some time the idea of something permanent brought from home was part of the planning for the memorial Chapel.  To expect small tokens and mementoes to endure for a very long time seemed unrealistic.  A Volunteer Member of THE TEAM has a teenager daughter who wants to bring a rose bush to plant on the Chapel grounds.  The idea of a Peace Garden merged with a Children's Garden:  where perennial plants can be planted.  Perhaps a favorite plant or flower, a product of bulb division from backyard gardens.

 Someone brought a bouquet of flowers from a garden in Saint Mary's, Pennsylvania for the Day of the Dedications (thank you).  A personal touch and a moving gesture.  Spontaneous and illustrative of the "need" to leave something of ourselves to make a personal mark.

 Stones are forever.  They are already half a billion years old.  Visitors coming to the Chapel may wish to bring something "from home."  A stone, perhaps a special stone from the back yard, or a special kind of stone found in particular regions can be brought to the Chapel Garden.  The stones can be decorated, marked with an appropriate message (For example, "God Bless America"), with perhaps the name of the Family, or a loved one, and the place of origin (For example, West Chester, Pennsylvania), and the date.  Not big rocks, but stones, perhaps flat one's, or unusual one's.  And perhaps this could be a project for Children.  The messages and designs should be painted, not decorated with markers.  Paint will endure, maybe not as long as the stone will, but it will endure.  Adults can supervise or assist, especially if a small drill/engraver is used to etch the message. And adults may bring stones of their own.

 The stones can be deposited anywhere in the Children's Peace Garden.  Others who come to visit the Chapel can examine and study the stones and their messages.

 On one occasion, the followers of Jesus were making such a noise, the authorities warned Him to silence them because they were disturbing the peace.  He responded:  I tell you, if all these voices were silenced, the rocks and stones themselves would cry out.

 The movie, Billy Jack's theme song, "One Tin Soldier" tells of a warlike town in conflict with its neighbors.  They wanted the Treasure of great value and importance owned by and possessed by their neighbors and they wanted to capture it for themselves.  The one's who owned the Treasure were willing to share, but that was not to be.  The attackers wanted to own it completely, and so they destroyed them all.

 They arrived at the place where the Treasure was kept, protected by a huge stone.  To lift the stone was to discover the secret of the Treasure.  And when they turned it over:

 "Peace on Earth", is all it said.