November 27, 2022

Psalm 122:6-8

Peace Within

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.” For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.” ~ Psalm 122:6-8

Today, we usher Advent in. We open to the Holy Spirit to walk with us. We must not hurry through it. We must breathe through it, moment by moment, asking it to reveal itself.

Art Credit: Margaret Belk Tierney

A peace that is within us, embodies us. It strengthens us and emboldens us. This Peace is a type of wholeness—health, integrity, and a sense of security. As people of faith, this peace is transactional. Transactional peace goes beyond us and seeks to contribute and to ease suffering.

We share the Peace of Christ with each other during worship. Passing the peace is a tradition rooted in Scripture that embodies our identity as peacemakers. “Peace be with you,” we say. We may grasp hands, give hugs, bow with prayer hands towards our neighbors, bump fists and elbows, share in the chat, or spread fingers in the familiar nonverbal V for peace. What we are really saying is “Peace be within you. God is with me and also with you. We are not alone.”” May that peace be cultivated in us and emanate from us the other 167 hours of the week.
Quiet and stillness are challenging for me.

Lately, I’ve been practicing meditation in an attempt to be more mindful. I sit still for a few minutes throughout the day and focus on my breathing, calming myself and breathing in for 1..2..3..4.. counts through my nose, holding it… and then pushing the breath out for 1..2..3..4.. through my mouth. I’ve also been experimenting with watercolors as part of this practice and offer this depiction of Peace Within from my imagination.

What helps you access sacred reflection? How do you imagine “peace within?”

If it feels right for you, please enjoy this short teaching video from Thich Nhat Hanh entitled War and Peace Within. In this video from the Plum Village app. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh talks about war and peace within us and around us, how not to be overwhelmed by the suffering within and without, and the practice of touching peace.

 Peace be within you, 

Margaret Belk Tierney