Advent Week Two

P E A C E

Perhaps one of the most evocative images in the bible, Isaiah’s portrait of the peaceable kingdom demonstrates a profound hope in the promise of peace to come. And while I treasure this image of the wolf living with the lamb, the young cows and bears resting together, I long for a more “active” representation of peace. As much as I love the Isaiah passage, the general impression I am left with is somewhat sedentary. I imagine that if one’s only conception of peace stems from an image of opposing parties sitting quietly together, there may be little motivation to work for it. I want to see the calf and the lion worshipping together. I want to see the bear and the cow collaborating on a project to end homelessness in their neck of the woods. I want to see the leopard and the kid gathering food for the ox. I want to see the child and the asp teaching each other songs and games.

This past October, a world-champion Thai youth brass band toured Sri Lanka. Why? To spread peace through music. It is remarkable that such a young contingency would venture into a war-torn area to sing peace into being. It is even more remarkable considering the political situation in Thailand. It is even more striking when one learns that the mostly Buddhist students who comprise the band study at a Roman Catholic school. Peace layered upon peace.

May we be so bold as to hope for peace. May God grant us courage to transform that hope into reality. And may we begin to imagine peace not in terms of resting on the boundaries, but of dancing all over them.

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May all beings be filled with joy and peace.

May all beings everywhere,
The strong and the weak,
The great and the small,
The mean and the powerful,
The short and the long,
the subtle and the gross:

May all beings everywhere,
Seen and unseen,
Dwelling far off or nearby,
Being or waiting to become:
May all be filled with lasting joy.

Let no one deceive another,
Let no one anywhere despise another,
Let no one out of anger or resentment
Wish suffering on anyone at all.

Just as a mother with her own life
Protects her child, her only child, from harm,
So within yourself let grow
A boundless love for all creatures.

Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.

Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.

Sutta Nipata - Buddha's Discourse on Good Will
http://www.interluderetreat.com/prayers.htm