Daily Bread Dec. 7

Youth Hunger Challenge Finds Peace, Salaam, Shalom
By Sarah Steinberg of Dundalk, MD, USA

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. —1 Corinthians 12:12–13 NRSV

As a youth minister, a church filled with people from many denominations gratified me. We were in Washington, DC, for a Youth Hunger Challenge. Emma’s Revolution happened to be playing a concert nearby, so 20 of our youth and staff joined the nearly 200 other people gathered that night. We came to hear the music, but we gained so much more.

Pat and Sandy introduced their song, “Peace, Salaam, Shalom,” with the story of Community of Christ. At the back of the room, a television played our music video (Prayer for Peace

God, Allah, Yahweh—we sing to you of peace, salaam, and shalom. We sing our gratitude for the diversity of the body of Christ. We are inspired to sing for the courage to unite and act for peace.

Spiritual Practice: Many Names of God

In many languages, God’s name contains the sound “Ahhh,” a sound we make when we are breathing out or sighing. Our prayer will use the Ahh names for God with a gentle arm movement that opens us to God’s presence. Begin with hands in front of you at chest level and move them up and in a large arc or circle as you breathe out each name for God. You may either speak the name of God or find a single musical note to hold or chant as you sing God’s name. Pray or sing each name several times as you call on the God of many names: Yahweh, Adonai, Jehovah, Yeshua, Sophia, Allah, Alpha, Omega, Abba. Say or sing “Amen” to close.