Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Monday, March 21, 2016
PEACE – Centered in the Holy
I am fascinated at how many variations people come up with. In terms of personal definitions of PEACE, that is.
(Reminder: not to worry! I will continue with posting of definitions of PEACE from the young people at St. Viator’s High School right after Easter!)
Some days ago, I attended a United Church of Christ ministerial meeting here in the Chicago area at the beginning of March. I asked a number of my fellow clergy “What does PEACE mean to you?”
The Reverend Sally Iberg came up with this personal definition of PEACE: “PEACE is centered in the Holy.”
Short, succinct. To the point.
I do not know Sally Iberg well. Her definition intrigued me at the time, and still interests me greatly. I haven’t had the time to connect with her to find out more about her definition. (Which intrigues me even further.) When she speaks of the Holy, I know she refers to God. Yet, she refers to even more than God. (As most people think of God.)
I think of the astounding holiness of God. The Holy, indeed! When an individual is centered on God, of course there will be peace within. But, that’s not all. No! “The Holy” is a much more expansive concept of God. Yes, all-powerful and all-knowing. All-loving and, yes. PEACEFUL. Peace, like God’s peace. Peace, like the peace that passes all understanding, or Jesus’s peace—not as the world gives peace.
Oh, Holy One, thank You for Sally’s wonderful definition. It certainly sparked some pondering and meditation, as I took time and reflected. Dear God, especially in this Holy Week, help me keep Holiness before me. Help me ponder Your peace and holiness.
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matterofprayer 
Do you think maybe our peace comes from God as holy, i.e., wholly other from us? In knowing that since God’s ways are not our ways, God can see through or around the chaos when we cannot?
Interesting! Your questions spark my mind with further questions!
Is our peace different from God’s peace? Does our fallible, human peace get amplified by Godly peace? (So many questions!) Thanks for asking them. More to ponder …