Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

“A Meditation,” by Katie Harmon-McLaughlin, Jul/Aug 2024 Herald, p. 21

Remember that you are breathing.
Draw your attention to your breath.
Place your hand upon your belly
or chest to feel the rise and fall.

Feel the fragile, fullness of
your humanity, in this sacred flesh.
Remember that you are alive.
Consider everything else that is living.
Remember the sacred Worth of All Persons,
and sense that even now.

Imagine every person alive, breathing.
Imagine that the world goes quiet,
until all we can hear is our common breath,
the beating of hearts, the drum of our life.

Embrace, with tender reverence,
the utter holiness of very precious
breathing, heart-beating life.

Feel your heart warm and soften
as Spirit makes pliable
your inner boundaries.
Let them stretch and expand
until what is you and what is Other
live in God’s one pulsing heart.

Keep widening as far as you can dream—
include all the people you love,
and dare to bring in the suffering.
Risk embracing the ones you fear,
and think of their children’s soft,
warm bodies breathing.

Widen further to embrace
as kin the sacred earth—
goldfinch and damp moss
slick river rock and tadpole.
Bring all this fullness of life
into your widening inner spaces,
in God’s own pulsing heart.

Remember, underneath everything
that swirls around and within you—
as distraction, urgency, and fear—
that you are breathing.

Place your hand upon your belly,
or chest to feel the rise and fall.
Feel the fragile, fullness of
your humanity, in this sacred flesh.
Dare to see everyone else,
without exception,
with this same tender sacredness,
unceasing mercy, and grace,
in this radical compassion gaze.

Prayer Phrase

“Do not be afraid, for I am your God…” (Isaiah 41:10).

Voices of God

What is the voice of God saying to us? Do we hear the whispers of God’s longing for shalom; God’s dream of beauty and wholeness for all creation? Do we hear the “voice” of God calling to us in faces and eyes, in the sounds of suffering and joy, in scripture and sacred word, in tears and laughter, in silence and noise? Spend a few moments reflecting on when and how God’s voice speaks to you. When did you first feel called to join God in the pursuit of peace and justice? How does the call of shalom continue to come to you through the many “voices” of God?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.