You might think that because my children are not children any more, sharing our house is a picture of harmony and peace, but I am beginning to realise that whoever we share our space with in this intensity without a break, can cause, shall I say, mild irritation. I always read the columns in the Sundays about who you would invite to your dinner party and I am wondering if there is another opportunity for , who would you choose to share lockdown with , and how long before you had your first argument....I am sure even the most saintly could become testy after six weeks.
And so when someone sent me through materials for Messy Church at home I was drawn to the section entitled…'.No-one should bite each other' which seems a good place to begin. I was intrigued to see this was based on a West African symbol BI-NKA-BI for peace and harmony (it means ‘no one should bite each other’!)
As we approach VE day the theme of peace is on our minds, the importance of finding ways to live in harmony with one another and the cost of not doing so. Jesus taught us to love one another, to treat others as we would be treated, and I find this helpful in my day to day, and then being prepared to say sorry when we get it wrong. It isn't easy, it may be particularly hard just now, but we can always ask God for help.
So I share this International prayer for peace, from Messy Church with its actions which might help us reflect on peace :
Lead me… from death to life (hands crossed over body and then hands raised above the head)
… from falsehood to truth (one hand close to the mouth, suggesting a malicious whisper, and then both hands with thumbs up next to the mouth suggesting the truth)
… from despair to hope (one hand on the forehead in despair and then the same hand shading the eyes, looking out to the future in hope)
… from fear to trust (two hands by the mouth expressing terror and then both hands open in front of the body expressing trust)
… from hate to love (one hand raised as a fist and then two hands over the heart) … from war to peace. (one hand shaped like a gun and then two hands linked by the thumbs, palms inward, creating a dove of peace)
Let peace fill… our heart (the hands still as the dove of peace near to the heart)
… our world (hands as the dove of peace making a small circle away from the heart)
… our universe. (hands as a dove of peace making a much larger circle away from the body)
And so when someone sent me through materials for Messy Church at home I was drawn to the section entitled…'.No-one should bite each other' which seems a good place to begin. I was intrigued to see this was based on a West African symbol BI-NKA-BI for peace and harmony (it means ‘no one should bite each other’!)
As we approach VE day the theme of peace is on our minds, the importance of finding ways to live in harmony with one another and the cost of not doing so. Jesus taught us to love one another, to treat others as we would be treated, and I find this helpful in my day to day, and then being prepared to say sorry when we get it wrong. It isn't easy, it may be particularly hard just now, but we can always ask God for help.
So I share this International prayer for peace, from Messy Church with its actions which might help us reflect on peace :
Lead me… from death to life (hands crossed over body and then hands raised above the head)
… from falsehood to truth (one hand close to the mouth, suggesting a malicious whisper, and then both hands with thumbs up next to the mouth suggesting the truth)
… from despair to hope (one hand on the forehead in despair and then the same hand shading the eyes, looking out to the future in hope)
… from fear to trust (two hands by the mouth expressing terror and then both hands open in front of the body expressing trust)
… from hate to love (one hand raised as a fist and then two hands over the heart) … from war to peace. (one hand shaped like a gun and then two hands linked by the thumbs, palms inward, creating a dove of peace)
Let peace fill… our heart (the hands still as the dove of peace near to the heart)
… our world (hands as the dove of peace making a small circle away from the heart)
… our universe. (hands as a dove of peace making a much larger circle away from the body)
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