Cyclical Grace
Katie Harmon-McLaughlin of Independence, MO, USA
May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. -2 Peter 1:2
Look well to the growing edge… all around us life is dying, and life is being born. The fruit ripens on the tree, the roots are silently at work in the darkness of the earth against a time when there shall be new leaves, fresh blossoms, green fruit. Such is the growing edge. It is the extra breath from the exhausted lung, the one more thing to try when all else has failed, the upward reach of life when weariness closes in upon all endeavor. -Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart, p.134
The changing of seasons never gets old. I never tire of witnessing green buds emerge plump and eager on barren limbs and branches. On this morning’s run, my attention was captured by a slow, small greening just appearing scattered among the rows of trees. In a few weeks what is sparse and rare to cherish will be full, verdant abundance. It never ceases to amaze. Spring is still miracle.
Inside, the news is more death and despair. Another mass shooting left 10 people dead who were simply running an errand at the grocery store amid the normal busyness of life. Even as more people get vaccinated, threats of stronger COVID variants stoke fear amid our timid hopes. For many, life right now is one weariness after another. The fog of uncertainty, instability, and loss is dense and unrelenting. Acts of kindness, humanity, are gold in this collective darkness. They lift the veil enough for us to remember the perennial goodness that still beckons with hope of better times.
We hold these realities together, the beauty and suffering of life, sometimes occurring at the exact same time. Green buds of hope emerge even on days of madness and terror. Season’s change is a constant reminder of life’s persistence. It is not sentimentality. It is wild perseverance. Up from the barren earth, out from the weathered branch and vine, life still emerges. It is still miracle. Especially in times like these, I do not take for granted this cyclical grace.
Prayer Phrase
“Led by the Holy Spirit, we work with God and others to restore peace (shalom) to creation” (https://www.cofchrist.org/enduring-principles).
Spiritual Practice
Embodying God’s Shalom
Find a way to express and embody God’s shalom. Begin by prayerfully listening to your longing for peace and wholeness. Become silent and imagine you can hear the groaning of the Earth’s people, nations, and creatures. Prayerfully open yourself to God’s yearning for peace and the divine vision of shalom.
What images, feelings, and words come to you? What prayer for peace comes to you from your time of listening? Speak or write this prayer. What act of justice, kindness, healing, or peacemaking does God invite you to consider this day?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
