The creation I made while " working" with this week's _Godly Play_ story materials. God loves People, so we should love people as God loves ALL of us. Perhaps that is what " peacemaking" really is: intentional space-creating to actively listen to those who are different from us. Photo By The Pensacola Hippie.
This week, I told the _Godly Play_ story of The Ten Best Ways-- which is based upon the story of Moses climbing Mount Sinai to bring God's Ten Commandments to God's people. As I looked at the words of the St Francis Peace Prayer that are assigned for today, my mind went back to this week's _Godly Play_ materials.
God , Make me and Instrument of Your Peace...
What is " Peace"? It is a word that many of us toss round, but what does it mean for we humans to act as " instruments of God's Peace"? I wonder, what does it mean to be instruments of peace, a peace that so often is way beyond the human understanding?
In these divisive times, perhaps a simple practice of being instruments of peace involves seeing others with different views as Beloved creations of God. God wants us to love people, and in order to love them, we must first recognize their Belovedness by Creator God.
In these divisive times, and in the middle of an ugly election cycle, it is too easy to write off those whose political views are different from my own. I daily remind myself that the family members who are not voting as I did are still beloved by God and by me. In order to see the Beloved in others with radically different views: we must first see the good in them. It can get so easy-- especially now-- to let politics come between friends and family. After all they probably are puzzled by the way I vote as I am puzzled by their choices.
Acting as a bringer of God's peace to people in my life with wildly different ideas on politics includes not shaming them for their choices. Being an agent of God's peace means to not return political fire with more political fire Now please don't misunderstand me, not returning the name calling we might receive from people who do not vote as we do is an act of STRENGTH. It takes strength & courage to reply to someone's political heckling with something such as:
"I hear you. Please know that I love you, and to keep our relationship intact, I will not discuss politics with you. You are entitled to your views, and I have my own views. That's all. "
Acknowledge them , but tell them that you value your relationship too much to get dragged into the political mud pit.
Love God first. Then, love God's people. Love them enough to work towards maintaining peace in a world that seems to strip away all of our peace. Be firm in your resolve to not let partisan politics destroy YOUR peace.
In the Name of the Holy Three...
~Sarah
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