Peace Within Thy Brethren

Neville's Inner Vision

Within Neville's framework, the 'brethren and companions' symbolize your own fellow states of consciousness—your inner circle of thoughts, habits, and relationships. When you say 'Peace be within thee,' you are not petitioning an outside force; you are making a decree to your I AM, the very awareness that animates your life, that the peace you seek is already present as a living presence within every facet of your being and theirs. The verse invites you to align your imagining with the truth that the inner world creates the outer world. When you choose to feel and assume peace as your current reality, you cease reacting to disturbance and begin responding from a centered, loving consciousness. Your union with others—the solidarity of prayer, family, and marriage—becomes a practice where your calm mind activates the peace latent in them, and through your conscientious assumption, you awaken their peace to the surface. The act is not forcing them, but consenting to the truth of peace at the core of all.