An ancient prophecy says that the peoples “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (Is 2:4). This prophecy has not been fulfilled; on the contrary, swords and spears have turned into missiles and bombs. From where, then, can the journey of peace begin? From the decision not to have enemies. Anyone with the courage to look at the stars, anyone who believes in God, has no enemies to fight. He or she has only one enemy to face, an enemy that stands at the door of the heart and knocks to enter. That enemy is hatred. While some try to have enemies more than to be friends, while many seek their own profit at the expense of others, those who look at the stars of the promise, those who follow the ways of God, cannot be against someone, but for everyone. — Against War: Building a Culture of Peace, p. 58
“Nature can welcome us in and make us feel like we’re at home in the world.”
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Virtual Celtic Pilgrimage: The Wisdom of Saints Colman, Sourney, and Patrick — A Self-Study, Online Retreat
When and where does nature welcome you home?
Verse of the day
As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed, we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about, for the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
– James 5:10-11
Voice of the day
You just need to be a flea against injustice. Enough committed fleas biting strategically can make even the biggest dog uncomfortable and transform even the biggest nation.
– Marian Wright Edelman
Prayer of the day
Our Living Hope, give us the tenacity to be united nuisances against inequities that plague us.
Verse of the day
We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love abides in death.
– 1 John 3:14
Voice of the day
I think about the love, the capacity for human connection, for generosity of spirit…Everything about our politics is zero-sum. That is not what we were meant for, as human beings. Our inclination is to be connected and to care.
– Ai-jen Poo
Prayer of the day
God our first caregiver, bind us closely so that we never lose sight of the importance of efforts done out of love.
There will be no peace without sharing and acceptance, without a justice that ensures equity and advancement for all, beginning with those most vulnerable. There will be no peace unless peoples extend a hand to other peoples. There will be no peace as long as we see others as them and not us. There will be no peace as long as our alliances are against others, for alliances of some against others only increase divisions. — Against War: Building a Culture of Peace, p. 58
Verse of the day
For you shall go out in joy and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
– Isaiah 55:12
Voice of the day
Our resistance is not just about reclaiming our land; it is about reclaiming our dignity, our pride, our humanity.
– Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask
Prayer of the day
Ground us, God, in movements that yearn to put an end to exploitation and relish what you created.
The love of Christ summons us to set aside every kind of self-centeredness or competition; it impels us to universal communion and challenges us to form a community of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another. — Against War: Building a Culture of Peace, p. 53
The name of God cannot be used to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism, and oppression. On the contrary, God, who created human beings equal in dignity and rights, calls us to spread the values of love, goodwill, and concord. — Against War: Building a Culture of Peace, p. 53
“I began to see photography as a way to slow down and gaze deeply, noticing things I missed in my rushed life. For me, the camera provided an encounter with the eternal moment — that place in which I was able to suddenly become so present to what I was gazing upon that I lost track of time, allowing eternity to break in.”
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
Take five minutes today to slow down and gaze prayerfully upon the world.
To register for the self-study companion retreat to the book with extra resources and guidance, click here. Use code HEART20 to take 20% off through May 31st.
A theology of weakness is a theology that shows a God weeping for the human race entangled in its power games and angry that these same power games are so greedily used by so-called religious people. Indeed, a theology of weakness is a theology that shows how God unmasks the power games of the world and the church by entering into history in complete powerlessness. But a theology of weakness wants, ultimately, to show that God offers us, human beings, the divine power to walk on the earth confidently with heads erect. — Finding My Way Home: Pathways to Life and the Spirit
Pastor Michael Moore's Blog 