Greetings from Peter Mayer

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Peace


Photo: Joseph Molieri/Bread for the World

What if Love was a shepherd's eye
Could see one lost for the ninety nine
And Faith and hope were a tiny seed
That could bloom into a family tree

I've believed betrayed swayed and discussed
Still I feel like a wrapped up Lazarus
Haven't made sense of the Mystery
But it makes sense to me

And I'm Still in One Peace
Still in One Peace
We are blessed we are broken
Every day a chance to be
One together again

Still in One Peace by Peter Mayer

Peter puts forward a bunch of images in these few lines. We have the story of The Lost Sheep (Luke 15) and the 99 safe in the pen. There is the image of the power of faith, moving mountains (Luke 17:6). There is the confession of sins like we have in Psalm 51.

Next there is the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead, John 11. Last, but not least, we have a reference to mystery. "Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. 8Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 3)

The song and our lives are all held together by the belief that because of God's grace and love, we are held together in "one peace." "For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us." (Ephesians 2:14)

On Thursday I was re-reading Parker Palmer's book, Let Your Life Speak-Listening for the Voice of Vocation, when these words jumped off the page for me:

"As I learn more about the seed of the true self that was planted when I was born, I also learn more about the ecosystem in which I was planted- the network of communal relations in which I am called to live responsively, accountably and joyfully with beings of every sort. Only when I know both seed and system, self and community, can I embody the great commandment to love both my neighbor and myself." (page 17)

I like to call Lent "spring training for Christians." It's a time to work on the basics, the fundamentals of faith. Today is the day to work on peace and also let it work on you and me.

Peace,
rtg

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