By Peter Judd of Des Moines, Iowa USA
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there anymore. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Today’s theme is the title of a hymn text by Fred Kaan (CCS 297). It is included in two hymnals published by Community of Christ: Hymns of the Saints (1981) and Community of Christ Sings (2013). This text is a prayer that God will redeem the earth and its nations from inequality, despair, war, hatred, fear, pride, and injustice. It is a call to allow the light of Christ to overcome all darkness.
Likewise, today’s scripture from Revelation holds up God’s vision for the world to be bathed in light that brings life in ways nothing else can. Throughout my life I have been blessed to see God’s love in ever-expanding ways that have opened me to understandings that include all people. When I have allowed God’s light to envelop me, I have welcomed diverse viewpoints and cultural perspectives that have greatly enlarged my worldview.
In the 1970s, I served on a committee to develop the first version of inclusive language guidelines for church publications. We discussed ways the use of male pronouns to refer to all humans was limiting and divisive. We suggested alternatives, and the guidelines were used in the selection and editing process for hymns included in the 1981 hymnal. As a result many felt more included in the body when they sang our hymns. Some authors of hymns refused to let us alter their texts. One was Fred Kaan. We included his hymn in the 1981 hymnal, even though he refused to change the line that read “Dogmas keeping man from man.” However, before the publication of the 2013 hymnal, he agreed to change that line to “Dogmas that obscure your plan.”
I find that most, if not all, of us can broaden our perspectives if we allow Christ’s light into our lives.
Prayer Phrase
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1).
Shaping into Wholeness
Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a glass cup, bowl, or vase. Explore its shape, texture, and color. Let the container symbolize your life as it is forming. Write on strips of paper (or in your journal) the observations of what is not yet just and whole in your life. Place the strips in the glass container and hold it in your hands. Pray a prayer of confession and petition, asking God to continue to breathe in and on you, shaping you into a just and compassionate person.
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.