[T]hey shall beat their swords into
ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not life up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore…[Micah
4:3b]
Unless the LORD builds the house, their labor
is in vain who build it. [Psalm 127:1]
Peace is not something you fight for. Perhaps peace is not,
after all, something you work for, or ‘fight for.’ Peace is something you have
or you do not have. If you yourself is at peace, then there is at least *some*
peace in the world. [Thomas Merton]
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you…For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do
not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers
and sisters, of what more are you doing than others? [Matthew 5:44,46-47]
*The Season
of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was
formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation
perspective. We use Biblical and
other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the
Season. Alternate readings used are posted with asterisk.
Click
here for more information about: Season of Creation ~ In The Beginning
Week III's Theme is:
The World at Peace
The World at
Peace. Of course! Who doesn't want it? Yet the concept is
exponentially large and seems well beyond the scope of my abilities to achieve
alone. It then remains a mere concept, too big to be a goal, and reduced to a
conversational platitude. Or, is it? When you think of world peace how
do you define it? Is it merely the end of all war on the planet or are there
other considerations? A few formal definitions describe it as the absence of
war, a cessation of hostilities, and/or tranquility. Whole armies are deployed
ostensibly to end war ~ where am I in that? The words of Thomas
Merton say it clearly: peace is not something you fight for…fighting
for peace…starts all the wars. Well, when it’s put that way, it
becomes even more clear that of course no army is deployed for peace but for
power and control, domination, and subjugation. Tranquility, though,
sounds a bit more personal. But a day doesn't go by when my anxiety and
frustration levels aren't challenged by the local news, comments on social
media, and I am highly intolerant of the intolerance of others as my blood
pressure rises! And Thomas speaks to that also: Peace is something you
have or you do not have. If you yourself are at peace, then there is at least
*some* peace in the world. Ah, a small first step. Find peace within
me, somewhere, breathing deeply regularly, stepping away from the noise of all
that disturbs a tranquil moment. Listen for the birds, even when they’re
fighting it calms me. The laughter of children makes me laugh; puppies and kittens and butterflies, and turtles sunning on a rock. Even in the depth of winter's cold heart, there is the peaceful quiet of a snowy day.
Breathe deeply
again. The feisty, feckless, fuming, and fraying world is still there, yet within it I can find a small moment of inner
peace that remains. That still small voice of God in Christ with the Holy
Spirit is quietly, steadily, holding me fast, calling me to return often to listen and be filled and then to let it out so that I can offer at
least *some* peace in the world. A smile, a kind word, some restraint in
response to a severe difference of opinion ~ World Peace, it
seems begins within me, at least in some ways. Let us
each invite the Lord to build our
house from within, that we may radiate God’s Eternal Light from the windows of
our souls to all we meet, and continue to mingle our peace-filled breath with all the air that flows around this fragile Earth, our island home***.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~
Merciful, Saving Lord, revive our faith and nourish our joy, that the peace you
speak overflows our souls and leads us to share with everyone, especially with
those we deem difficult or unworthy. Guide us to remember Your ways, and learn
to pray with more fervor for others than for ourselves.
O
God of Justice and Peace
RESPONSE: We turn our hearts to You
~
Merciful, Saving Lord, search the faithfulness of us all, especially those who lead us in
Governments globally and locally. Quell the ego-, greed-, and power- needs that
obstruct the tranquility of all Your Earth, that we Lead us to where peace can grow and spread beyond all
barriers and borders. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
God of Justice and Peace
We
turn our hearts to You
~
Merciful, Saving Lord, lay Your healing hand upon those weary of the pain, anguish, or
fears of this life, and hold fast to those who offer caring help. We now join our
hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
O God of Justice and Peace
We turn our hearts to You
~
Merciful, Saving Lord, lighten the darkness for those who grieve, as our loved ones
return Home to the eternal splendor and glory of new life in Christ. We pray especially
for… add your own petitions
O God of Justice and Peace
We turn our hearts to You
~
Merciful, Saving Lord, we pause in
this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
O God of Justice and Peace
We turn our hearts to You
~
Merciful, Saving Lord, bestow courage and confidence, in these trying times, upon those
anointed to call us to Your Holy Table for the spiritual renewal and fidelity
of faith, to serve the cause of peace in this world together. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
O God of Justice and Peace
We turn our hearts to You
The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, pour Your
riches into our souls as we embody Your Presence within ourselves and as the
instruments of Your peace for all we meet. Teach us to bend the swords, spears,
slings, and arrows of rage and warring, into the tools that spring humanity
toward the Salvation and Glory of our inheritance from Christ. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, our
Counselor, who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.
**A reading from Thomas
Merton — Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (Doubleday, 1966, p
181):
Peace is not something you fight for.
Perhaps peace is not, after all, something you work for, or “fight for.”
It is indeed “fighting for peace” that starts all the wars. What, after all,
are the pretexts of all these Cold War crises, but “fighting for peace”?
Peace is something you have or you do not have. If you yourself are at peace,
then there is at least *some* peace in the world. Then you share your peace
with everyone, and everyone will be at peace. Of course I realize that
arguments like this can be used as a pretext for passivity, for indifferent
acceptance of every iniquity. Quietism leads to war as surely as anything does.
But I am not speaking of quietism, because quietism is not peace, nor is it the
way to peace.
***The phrase this fragile Earth, our island home, is from Eucharistic Prayer C, in the US Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, 1979. See bcponline.org, page 370
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