Remember to Love people boldly… your partner, your friends, your neighbors, the strangers, the world.
The world is a much better place when we do. Breathing in Love, as the song goes, we breathe out Peace. That’s our job. Everyday. Breathing in Love, breathing out Peace. Let’s make every day Valentine’s Day! Let’s give Cupid a bigger job! Romance is easy (well, sometimes! Peace is a challenge!)
When a storm has raged all day, that’s one kind of Beauty.
And when, at the end of the day, the Sun or the Moon break through the clouds in a wholy unexpected way, that’s another kind of Beauty.
Peace is finding the Beauty both in the storm and in the unexpected gift.
St. Francis of Assisi… Many of us associate him with his love and caring for animals. And that would have been enough.
He organized a group around renunciation of the the world’s riches… and so his friars were known as the begging friars… I’m not as interested in that… although an aversion to building up riches is certainly not a bad thing in an order! And as a result, they embrace the poor and are ardent workers for social justice. They also embrace the joyousness of creation and repudiate the notion of original sin. And that would have been enough. Any of these would have been enough.
But then there’s this lovely prayer that I focused on today. Those words are a wonderful gift. The notion that we should be instruments of Peace. So simple and so profound. So incredibly challenging. But we can be enough, if we put our minds to it.
We can be instruments of Peace. We can be Peace.
It is, it seems perfectly possible to be content to stand on a street corner, holding space for people to pray, all the while dreaming of warm, ocean kissed beaches.
We can’t only focus on the work to be done. We must also celebrate the fun to be had. All work and no play after all, make Jack and Jill fairly dull. Can’t have that!
Dull People don’t make exciting Peace.
What could be more exciting than Peace? Art, Music, Science, Technology, Wisdom swirl about! There’s Beauty. There’s Peace. Let’s stand when it’s necessary. Lounge when we can. Peace always.
“I was up all night,” my friend said. “The Moon (on the breast of the new-fallen snow) was so beautiful. How could you sleep?
Cold, cold night. Cold, bright, beautiful Moon and a couple of dazzling planets. And stars galore.
It’s enough to make you stop and catch your breath in wonder.
And anything that makes us stop and catch our breath in wonder, is a thing that connects us all. And that’s where Peace can begin to fill up the spaces between us. Another beautiful moon tonight, if the clouds let us see it. But beauty all around!
Here’s to you and snow and wonder and full Moons and Peace.
Yahoo! there was snow. Cancelling this and that and the other thing. Brewing another cup of tea.
Going downstairs to find my shovel so i can find my my steps… (first shoveling of the year. In February!)
But it’s white. It’s beautiful. It’s quiet. And it’s Peaceful on the surface! (and it’s better you stay in! Everything’s pretty slippy.)
Peace of the Snowy day to you!
What I love about this photo is not just the pelican’s patience, it’s her readiness as well.
Waiting is an active rather than a passive state.
In this bird’s case, she’s fully prepared. She’s trained a life-time to fish. She’s in shape, she’s prepared and probably neither happy nor unhappy in the waiting.
Some of us may be prepared for action. Others of us might do well to spend the time getting in shape, mentally, physically, spiritually, for the work that lies ahead of us. The way to Peace is always hard… and sometimes you need to sit back and exhale and wait until it’s time… But it’s not a great thing when the time comes and you’ve nodded off. Whether you’re fishing or working for Peace, you want to be ready.
Patience. Peace. They are well-acquainted.
For many years, in my life as a religious leader, I have not worn symbols of my office. Although I have other personal reasons, much of the work I have done has been interfaith and a collar would have interfered with that. And there was no real urgency for it.
It has never interfered with my doing my job. Here in my river valley, it’s easy enough to be known. But in today’s climate, there will be times I am called to show up that I believe a collar will be useful — as it speaks to power and as it reassures people in a crowd. It’s another way of saying I am here. I’m sorry it’s necessary.
I know a lot of people who are happy for their collars. I have no quarrel with them at all. It simply isn’t my style.
Having said that, if it moves the movement, there’s value… That said… sigh. And… you use power as you have it.
Stained glass? I love it! It’s so beautiful. I grew up with wonderful stained glass and when traveling still check to see the glass. But as my thealogy has moved, I look more to simple meeting houses that are warmed with love and passion for justice… But as my community begins to build, who knows what they will need. This is, after all, their house of worship. And I have nothing but welcome for Beauty.
In today’s world we look for places to find and ways to give Peace. We’re all going to have to stretch a bit. We’re all going to have to balance the needs, personal against the communal. And this piece of stained glass is beautiful.
These are challenging times. It’s hard to know what our best actions are.
It’s hard to know when we form a line in the struggle and say you may not cross. Or when you move and adjust but still stand exactly where you are.
It’s hard to believe i’m writing such things. But this is our life now.
Lock arms and hold your ground. Bend and sway. For Peace. Finding the Balance.
I think Peace is not a solitary endeavor. We make Peace with our friends and then as friends we make Peace. I just finished a book that talked about a leader who had the good of society in his mind but didn’t have the good of the communities in his heart. It tainted his doing good.
We the People make the Peace. We may not concentrate on it enough, but it’s true nonetheless.
We can do this differently if we choose. Do we choose Peace? Do we choose connection?
I’ve said several times but none with more urgency than now, I never thought that the most important thing I had to offer in my ministerial work was community. And they never teach you that (oooh same problem as the leader in this fantasy novel!). You all think you’re going to be a prophet for your (oh-so-gifted) oratory. Nah, it’s the smiles and waves and hugs that set the scene. It’s the actions. And if you’re lucky, you’ll preach well come Sunday morning…
So, get up, gather your group (or meet up for them) and plot for Peace.
