Peace & War

Be still my soul. The Lord is on your side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide in every change he faithful will remain. - Kathrina von Schlegel

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19 NLT

Your faith will not fail while God sustains it; you are not strong enough to fall away while God is resolved to hold you.”  ― J.I. Packer

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. - Psalm 116:7-9

On the heels of writing a reflection on encouragement to lament, April 18th and 19th, 2020 brought Canada  and especially Nova Scotians forcefully into this painful liminal space. My beautiful province was launched into the international spotlight as the backdrop for senseless violence; not for its natural and abundant beauty. The tiny rural town of Portapique nestled in Colchester county, a mere hundred and thirty kilometers from Halifax, experienced carnage that was unheard of in Canada until that fatal weekend.

Prayers To The One Who Makes Peace

Take out all our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of living, beating flesh.  Transform us into instruments of your peace.  

The theme of this year’s annual advocacy summit for Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is Equal in God’s Eyes: Human Rights and Dignity for all in Israel/Palestine. For some, this statement will seem obvious. Of course, all of God’s human creation is created equally and in the image of God. We recall the words of the Hebrew Scriptures in the book of Genesis,

“So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (1:27).

You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. - Psalm 56:8

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)