The Beatles bombarded us with “All You Need Is Love,” and then John Lenin wanted us to “Give Peace a Chance.” The difficulty with their desire was that they had a limited, if not totally incorrect view of both love and peace.

I recall always wanting a piece of pie (or cake) when I was growing up. I wanted to make sure that I was able to participate in the enjoyment of the dessert at hand. I usually thought that the piece that I was awarded was too small. It was the same with the thought that we should enjoy our dessert first while we are still hungry and not leave it until the last of the meal—like an add-on or a tag. But of course, the pie, the cookie, or the cake are just that—an add-on. They are not the main meal. And when our parents allowed us to have a piece of dessert, they portioned it correctly according to our size and how much appetite for sweets should be gratified. My mom’s response to my desire for more dessert was to remind me that I could have another helping of vegetables if I were still hungry.

So what I say is that first of all, we need to understand love—true love, not the fluffy feeling that makes us go weak in the knees, but the kind that helps us to decide to do for those we may not like because we love them—and peace—true peace, not the fleeting want for no more fighting, but the kind that fills us with serenity in times of joy and sorrow, calm and upheaval—in order to claim them. Peace and Love are the capstones that result from a relationship with Jesus Christ. We find them when we are them. To discover love, we must be love; to find peace, we must bring peace.

Sure, I want a piece of peace. But I want it to be more than I asked for.