First Baptist Church of Herndon

Peace

Linda Soller | Jan 15, 2018

There was a time in the history of mankind when a prayer for peace in the world had limited ramifications. A person’s world was small in scope. Not knowing that others existed elsewhere with similar dreams made the prayer highly personal. Today they say the world is getting smaller. I understand what they mean and agree that our personal actions can easily impact others outside our typical sphere of influence. I also understand that a prayer for peace in the world challenges us to visualize what that would even look like. Indeed, the vastness of the world may make our prayer for peace seem superficial, and far from personal.

Harry drops his trash on his neighbor’s lawn and elects to leave it there. The neighbor finds it later, assumes the trash men were neglectful in their duty, and complains to the company. The company tired of complaints finds a scapegoat and fires the trash truck driver. The driver struggles to find work and ends up in a shelter with his three children. Two of the children never reach adulthood but fall prey to street violence. The third grows up angry and finds companionship in the anger of a gang. The gang seeks power to sooth their anger and kills three innocent people who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. The family of the victims blame the system for the violence and decide to protest. Homeowners who see their property values dropping march with signs against the police, set a trash truck on fire, and there, leading the way, is Harry. War has no age, no race, no one single person or institution to blame. War takes on a life of its own and is not always in a foreign land or between political entities.

Lord show us the face of peace. Help us to see our part in its destruction and in its creation. Help us wake each day seeking the face of peace in everything we do. Lord guide us to be the start of the ripple that ends with Peace.

Have a great week! :o) Linda