Tag Archives: peace
Who was John the Baptist? Of all the people in the Bible, I must admit that I really find him strangely weird. He dressed in clothes that were never washed, ate all kinds of bugs and plants, many people called him a “wild man, even crazy,” and was the man chosen by God to proclaim the coming of a Savior to the world. At his extremely violent death, decapitation, he said that he could not begin to fill Christ’s shoes,…..
Very few of us who are poetry fans do not recognize the name of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, America’s poet of the 19th century, but many people do not realize where his inspiration came from for his poem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” I have often wandered why I am so inspired by the tolling of bells at any time of the year but particularly on Christmas Eve. Their sweet tones welcome in the birth of Christ on Christmas…..
Every morning before I leave my home to do errands or go to doctor’s appointments, I stand in the foyer putting my coat on, and I read a poem that hung in my father’s study that now hangs in my foyer. Four words stand out: faith, love, peace, and God. Where there is faith, there is love. Where there is love, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is God. Where there is God, there is no need. Every…..
I believe we are all students; we are all teachers, if we only would take the time to listen to one another. We all want to feel peace, love, and hope. We all need a place to call home, either with a special person or an actual physical place that we warmly return to every night. I also believe that the paths we take lead us to our next choices. Without our ears, we are nothing more than clanging cymbals,…..
Will we ever melt our weapons into plow shares and our precious metals into forks, knives, and spoons? Will we be perpetually driven to war for selfish reasons or state dominance? The blood shed by millions throughout history could have been better used to build bridges of peace, hope, and love. On July 3rd, 1863 in the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the South charged over fields and across the Emmet Road to reach a small growth of trees where…..
On this Memorial weekend, I am profoundly thankful for all who have served in our armed services and for those who paid the ultimate price so that we might have the freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I am also very thankful for the peace that has resulted in the world, but my prayers today center around the lack of respect for the peace of our children. Will they live to take another breath while attending our…..
Peace, Not War We all have wars going on in our lives. Some are physical, breaking bones and pouring blood from wounds. Some are emotional, feeling like a knife cutting into our souls. Some are spiritual, surrounding our problems and leaving us asking, “Where are You, God? Do you hear me?” Some are psychological, playing tricks on our minds and causing behaviors we’d never do otherwise. Some are political, dividing our communities and nation and keeping us from loving one…..
We all have images of Christmas that we think describe what Christmas is. Some say they like making vows to lose weight after the holidays, which they quickly break after a month or so. Others see trees beautifully decorated, Santa Claus coming down the chimney leaving gifts under those trees, caroling around the neighborhoods, family gatherings and telling old stories about members of those families, building snowmen and snow ball fights, and Creches depicting Mary and Joseph smiling at Jesus…..
I hope my love is genuine so that I can hold onto what is good. I try to treat others as I want to be treated and show honor towards them. I am ardent in the spirit of the Lord and try to always stand up for right not wrong. I rejoice in hope, am patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer. I give to the needy, support organizations for the good of many, and show hospitality to strangers. I…..
According to Lutheran liturgy, this is the second Sunday of Easter, but last Sunday didn’t feel like Easter because of COVID-19. I wasn’t in church, wasn’t singing the glorious hymns of Resurrection, and wasn’t hearing God’s word from the minister. As with churches across the nation, my church was closed, and I was struggling with my computer speakers to get any sound from them. Somehow, sitting in front of a computer screen, trying to lip-read what’s going on in a…..