Leaders like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi embodied compelling visions of peaceful progress.

On Independence Day last weekend, we celebrated the unification of 13 former British colonies into an independent and sovereign nation.

The fateful moment is enshrined in a document, the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence.

This was a transcendent vision, a dream worthy of risking everything to achieve: Government by consent of those governed. It would take years to evolve the details and enshrine them in our national Constitution, and that quest has never ended.

As our nation matured, amendments and a body of interpretive law have documented the ongoing realization of that vision. In service of our vision we ended slavery, gave women the vote, and banned segregation. And were not done yet.

Great leaders come to embody transcendent vision. This week we celebrate Nelson Mandela. We credit him with leading South Africa out of apartheid. He was a man of character, conscience, and big ideas.

His life was one of service to humanity. He sought to bring people together, to find constructive solutions, to make peace. His power was not grounded in fear of his strength; he did not "speak softly and carry a big stick." He was not physically imposing. But he had vision and courage.

Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. also embodied compelling visions of peaceful progress. Their vision, like Mandelas, rallied millions to rise up in non-violent rebellion against things as they were. The dream of things as they could be inspired individuals to place themselves in harms way to make real the dream of freedom, dignity, equality and peace.

Newtowns Edward Hicks, a celebrated Quaker, was and is known by his paintings of a vision in which lions and oxen are at peace with each other. The paintings symbolize our aspiration to achieve a world where people no longer prey upon each other, where fear and violence are replaced by loving communities that resolve differences amicably.

Today, we face a deep rift in American society that is an affront to our national vision of equality and justice.

Each of us is confronted by the realization that all Americans do not share equally in the blessings of liberty.

Privilege is accorded to those who are raised with wealth, and especially to those who are born of wealthy white parents. As a nation, thats not our dream for America. It doesnt square with the example and teaching of any of our spiritual leaders.

We need to learn to wage peace. Waging peace starts with a vision that transcends our individual need for comfort and inspires us to take personal risks for the greater good. Peace is a neglected vocation. West Point and Annapolis teach the art of waging war, but nowhere do we have great institutions that teach us the arts of peace. Locals may point to Langhornes Peace Center, but you cant go there for professional credentials.

Learning to wage peace requires spiritual self-awareness. Certainly there are peace techniques, tactics and strategies. But these are not what empowered King, Mandela and Gandhi. These leaders possessed an inner guiding light. They acted with dignity and humility. They spoke of and served a vision that overshadowed their personalities a transcendent vision for humanity that called them to take risks and endure hardships.

Now, in these troubled times, each of us is called to examine what matters most and to ask, "What vision of America is bigger than I and more important than my life and my comfort? What social or political norms encumber me? What spiritual insights inspire me?

"How, with divine assistance, can I personally wage peace in service to my vision?"

Richmond Shreve is a member of the Newtown Friends Meeting and lives in Newtown. From a Faith Perspective is a weekly column written by members of local faith communities.

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Faith: Visions of peace - Lifestyle - The Intelligencer