And the sunrise service had been ecumenical, welcoming people from several area congregations. Again, to notice the pattern of peace was heartening to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in Virginia, after 4.5 hours of sleep, I spoke to a group of about 30 men for an early Tuesday morning Bible study. Again, I noticed and thought about the reality that these men and I came from 8-10 different congregations. It helps to look for patterns of peace because the small things we notice help to cope with larger differences in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At work that first day back from Kansas, I ate lunch on the Welcome Center deck that faces toward the Massanutten Mountain. I\u2019m always encouraged by the ancient mountain\u2019s peak and its silent elegance, with the Blue Ridge beyond. Above the deck was a glorious pink dogwood, in full spring bloom, delivering beauty to my lunch break that was glorious, enchanting, and memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It doesn\u2019t always work for me, but when I can notice patterns of peace around me, in wholesome relationships, societal systems that still work, and natural wonders that amaze, my spirit fills with hope for peace in a broken world.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOn Easter, a leader lit a peace lamp on the pulpit. Not a big deal, I guess, but I was six states away from where I usually worship, and her simple act of lighting a lamp for peace and praying for our divided world got me thinking. Despite stark political divisions in the United States … Continue reading Patterns of peace in a broken world<\/span> 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