These are portentous times. The lives of many are being sacrificed unnecessarily to the gods of war, greed, and avarice. The land is being desecrated by the thoughtless waste of vital resources. You must obey my commandments and be in the forefront of those who would mediate this needless destruction while there is yet day.

By Danny Belrose, Live Christ’s Peace, Herald House Publishing, 2013, p. 65

“Peace! Peace! Peace!”
so easily it slips off our tongues, God.

Peace—robbed of meaning, wrapped in familiarity,
Tucked tightly away in narrow folds of understanding.
We confess, O God, a peace born of myopia
a peace that sees only the daylight
of saccharine sensibilities
spun by soft summer breezes,
morning mist, lemonade and lazy afternoons free of care.

Peace—devoured by apathy
its brief life spent on slogans said
and banners blown on winds of hope
its voice heard but for a moment.

A peace betrayed by deception’s subtle lie
that to talk peace is to do peace.

May we see its resurrection, God.
Let peace invade us and transform us.

Let it find meaning beyond hymns sung, prayers prayed,
sermons preached.

May we give it hearts, heads, hands, and feet as well as lips.

May the peace of this strange man Jesus awaken within us
new resolve
to move from slogans to deeds, from hope to reality.

Peace, ALIVE across the breakfast table.
Peace, ALIVE and color blind.
Peace, ALIVE for saint, for sinner
for all who sing God’s many names.

For only then, do we truly take your name upon us.

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.