I have been praying for peace

I have been praying for peace.
I know you have too.
Not only in Ukraine,
but in all the countries of the world experiencing conflict.

Peace to every land that faces stress, crisis, tension, or struggle.
Peace to every community that searches for justice, reconciliation, and restoration.
Peace to nations suffering from natural disasters and trying to rebuild.
Peace in the hearts of leaders who can resolve the divisions between human beings.
Peace to those of every faith who pray for peace and work for peace.
Peace in the kinship of hope between us all.
Peace for our elders and our children.
Peace in our minds and in our hearts.
Peace to all living things.

And if I have any spiritual value to offer it is this:
I am a visual aid to the reality of redemption.
People can change.
They can turn in a different direction.
They can find their way out of sorrow and into serenity.

How all of that happens is above my pay grade,
but I am pretty sure it is the same for all of us
who have been through it,
and yet, unique to each one of us.

So I cannot explain your best path to renewal;
I can only share what helped me.
And that was love.
Just love.
Pouring into the empty spaces of my heart,
lifting me up to see things I had never seen before.

I am proof love works.

Bishop Steven Charleston, Facebook February 20, 2022

[Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash]