Channels of peace

Covid Sunday story: For Such a Time as This, Living With Curiosity, Creativity & Courage - full video.

Channels of peace (excerpt at 4:44 min)

And if we recognize that in our imperfect complexity as human beings that we are constantly going to default to fear or envy or greed or anxiety or isolationism, if those are our defaults particularly during times like this, then how do we create rituals, reminders that we in fact are invited to take a moment, open our hearts to different energy, vision, spirit so that we might be among those who are channeling peace, goodwill, generosity and kindness. And I think too, a vision for justice and care of the vulnerable, as well as a sense of oneness and therefore profound love of the creation.

Make me a channel of your peace. I think that prayer of Saint Francis is so profoundly timely, as are the words of Tolkien. We are kind of every day, every moment of every day at a fork in the road. It's reminiscent of that indigenous story where the boy asks the grandfather how he is to live, and the grandfather says, "Well, we have two people in us, they're like two wolves. One is generous and kind and thoughtful and bold and brave, and the other one represents all the other parts of us". And the child asks the grandfather, "How do I know or how can I live out of this higher, better, finer self?" To which the grandfather responds, "It depends which ones you feed".

So the Christian tradition has suggested that we are vehicles of all that can be good and gracious, bold and brave, just. And so how do we, good friends, as we move through our days—challenging days, days that Tolkien knew about because he lived through the Second World War and was familiar with another despot—how do we find that place and remember and seek to be and commit ourselves to be channels of peace, of shalom, of a larger, more generous vision for this planet and all that depend on its life?