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