We open now
to a peace that passes all understanding,
discovered not only in that rare state
of a still mind
but also in the midst of chaos,
in the disequilibrium of growth,
in the push and pull of circumstance –
and through it all, an awareness
that is not rattled but rather, deeply curious.
We open now
to a peace that passes all understanding,
in the street-corner prophet
passing out handbills of hope,
repaid with the derision of the passersby;
and in the soldier
defending with bullets and bravery
the right of a little girl to go to school;
and in the labour of lawyers
writing policy to save the spotted owl;
and in the priest’s choice
to empower a peasant with the Nazarene’s legacy.
We open now
to a peace that passes all understanding,
in the solitude of a monk
holding a broken and blessed planet
in constant prayer;
and in the heart of the Christ,
who transforms violence into his own suffering,
abundant live flowing from His wounds
to the hearts of perpetrators
and the likes of us, who proclaim him Prince of Peace. Amen.