When we extend our hands for a shake or our arms for a hug or pow or to make another sign of peace, we look into the eyes of God’s beloved, our sibling in Christ. We have an opportunity to share a sign of peace that is not rooted in a polite quiet, but in a love for neighbors that is so strong it compels us to commit ourselves to seeking justice for them, even when it makes us uncomfortable, especially when it costs us something.
In that space wedged between Word and Meal, we share and receive peace. We are welcomed to the table of peace. We are sent out as the body of Christ to seek peace in the world. Our peace-seeking requires courage and boldness. We are called to stand in the gap for our neighbor and make amends where harm has been caused. In this way, we are called to share the love that God in Christ first shared with us. This is the fruit of our faith.
This message is excerpted from “Passing the peace” by Tiffany C. Chaney in the July/August 2020 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Toyohiko Kagawa, renewer of society, 1960.
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