We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
[Excerpted from Live Christ’s Peace by Barbara Carter, Herald House Publishing, 2013, pp. 17–19]
While getting my hair “done,” I had the opportunity to listen as others talked about their lives. It surprises me how people speak so freely at the salon. The perception must be that hair wrapped in a towel or woven in foil means no one knows who we are or can hear our conversations. I heard conversations about relationships that day.
One woman’s purse was stolen, and she was trying to save her home from foreclosure. Through all her attempts to work with financial institutions, she felt alone in the world. She felt her family members were the only people she could trust or count on. They are the ones standing by her while everyone else let her down.
Another person spoke about how hard it was to “deal” with her young adult child and the child’s choices. “Do I cut off all contact? Or do I continue to get hurt?”
Sitting next to the person with the questions was a young woman trying hairstyles for her wedding. Her mother and friend were there supporting her. She talked excitedly about her fiancé and their plans. The final conversation was about drinking parties on the shores and beaches because of graduations.
At the heart of these conversations are relationships—connections between friends, family, strangers, and loved ones. Because we live, we are in relationship. Being in relationship with others is not optional; we just are. We are connected to one another.
God invites us to be in relationship. Through relationship we are open to receive the love and mercy God has for us. Acceptance of God’s love provides us with an abundance of love and mercy that we can share with others. It helps us see others as God sees them and frees us to respond without reservation.
Living in right relationships requires that we learn to think of others as well as ourselves. Christ calls us to break down walls that separate us from one another. We do that by intentionally combining our giftedness and skills with others to face the needs of those around us. Acting as individuals, our needs may overwhelm us. But in community, it is not overwhelming. It becomes a natural expression of our understanding of our interconnectedness.
May we choose to be intentional in refusing the ways of individualism. May we choose to respond to the invitation of Christ to show mercy through communities of joy, hope, love and peace.
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.