The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
[Adapted from Heal the Earth: A Restoration Imperative, Herald House, 2024, p. 24]
Most Native Tribes have a ceremony called giveaways or potlatch in which gifts are given to honor friends. Elders say that ceremony is the way to remember to remember. In the dance of the giveaway, remember that Earth is a gift that must be passed on, just as it came to us. The moral covenant of reciprocity calls us to honor our responsibilities for all we have been given, for all that we have taken. It’s our turn now, long overdue.
Let us hold a giveaway for Mother Earth, spread our blankets out for her, and pile them high with gifts of our own making.
Imagine the books, paintings, poems, clever machines, compassionate acts, transcendent ideas, and perfect tools; the fierce defense of all that has been given; gifts of mind, hands, heart, voice, and vision all offered on behalf of Earth. Whatever our gift, we are called to give it and to dance for the renewal of the world, in return for the privilege of breath. God has chosen to teach humans that dance in the unfolding drama of a dynamic Earth. In the beginning, God declares all of creation good and invites humans to participate in an unfolding exercise of preserving that goodness.
Prayer Phrase
“…he has given us a new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).
Spiritual Practice
Weaving a Life
Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a piece of patterned cloth. Examine it carefully. Notice overlapping threads mingling colors that form the design. Write a journal entry or meditate about the threads and patterns of your life. What design do you see? How does the life pattern you are weaving create justice and wholeness in God’s world? What new pattern is God calling you to weave in 2025?
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.