Peace and Peace
Friends, in regard to what is transpiring in Ukraine and in anticipation of the start of Lent, I invite you to join me in praying for two particular kinds of peace.
First, join me in praying for peace among those in power. The hope of peace among nations is a hope in which unnecessary aggression, violence, and suffering is not visited upon people who have no reason to be made to suffer. The upending of day to day life toward suffering is fundamentally incongruous with how people are meant to share this life and world. Anything that can be done at this time to stop unnecessary suffering, especially of an attacked people, should be undertaken. And so, we pray for peace among the nations as carried out by those with power.
The second peace for which I invite you to pray is holy peace. In both successes and failures, our hope is that holy peace may be available and present to us. In our anxiety, fear, and suffering we reach out for the sense that we are not alone. In the imperfection of this life and our own selves, we reach out in hope that our hand will find the embrace of the One who always walks with us. Holy peace comes from being rooted in things larger and beyond our current state. Holy peace is assurance in the face of the chaos of this world. As we enter into Lent this coming week, it is the comfort of holy peace that characteristically underlies and informs our journey toward the fulfillment of all hope.
So, please pray for these two types of peace. Let us pray,
Heavenly Father, we ask that you be with those who are in harm’s way due to military aggression. Provide awareness to leaders of all nations of your hope and desire for our wellbeing. Be with children, parents, and residents who are afraid in the midst of encroaching war. Also, as we approach the days ahead and as your church approaches the Lenten season, we ask that you also give us the holy peace of your presence and your promise. In all we do, all we experience, all we hope for, and all we fear, Lord, please surround us with your holy peace. Your good desire is always that we will be made whole by your love. We ask that these two ways of peace and all other ways we can receive your peace may be manifest in our lives and our world. In your name we pray, amen.
We love you and God loves you,
Josh Condon+