Ethereal Queen

Peace Vigil

Last night I stood with a handful of people to pray for peace in the Middle East. There were three young children, a beautiful 2 1/2 year old little boy (who is my grandson), and two precious little girls, one of whom was dressed like a fairy. The girls had made their own beeswax candles to light at the vigil. We gathered around a sign that said, "CEASEFIRE". Anne, the organizer, had arranged a black veil underneath the sign and placed blue vases on either side with one white callelily in each. From vase to vase, there was an arc of small white candles that danced with tiny flames, much like the tiny group that we were, hoped for peace. The time came when we each lit our own candle and stood in silent vigil and prayer for the hostilities to end. As I prayed, my mind drifted to familiar scenes of anguished mothers and terrified children and overwhelmed fathers and tired old people who had gone through this many times before in their lives. I heard the bombs, the bullets, and the screams. For a moment, war took my breath away, as I know it takes God's breath away. Why don't they just stop fighting? It seems so simple until I remember the people that I struggle with in this small insignificant life of mine. The harshness with which I judged those unlike myself, with beliefs that appall me, with lifestyles that upset me, with values that disgust me , this is the spirit of war. As I prayed, I prayed for me to be at peace first, then prayed that my small flicker of peacefulness would engulf those around me, and their peacefulness would in turn spread like wildfire until this moment of silence enveloped the Middle East and the Lion and the Lamb could lay down together.
www.committedtofreedom.org

posted by Sallie @ 6:13 AM