Next door, in neighboring Birmingham Township, I stumbled on the Peace Garden at Birmingham Friends Meeting last weekend. Have you been?

The Peace Garden is located in an unmarked common burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers. It surrounds the stone marker for the common grave shared by British and American soldiers lost in the Battle of the Brandywine and is located next to the Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse, which served as a field hospital during the war.

The Quakers are pacifists, and their messages of peace (rather than war) engraved on the Peace Stones throughout the garden offer a much-needed reminder in these times. If you can, I encourage you to visit and enjoy the garden’s quietude and spirit.

As we head into a year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the violent war that founded our country, amidst an environment of increasing political violence in our communities and from our own government, may we reflect on how we can be advocates and activists for peace, understanding, and revitalization.

I have shared below some of the Peace Stones whose messages resonated most with me. Do you have a favorite?