December 3, 2009

Passing the Peace
by Tracy Young

Peace be with you!
And also with you!

It's not uncommon to encounter a "passing of the peace" in church services. It's a liturgical ritual that many of us probably don't think much about, other than it's a chance to stretch our legs and greet our friends. It's one of those occasions where repeating a word over and over again makes it start to sound a bit funny. Peace. Peace. Peace.

It struck me, though, in a recent service, how powerful this exchange can be. Passing the peace - a precious thing that we receive and give to one another. If peace is something that I am passing on to another, what sort of work do I need to do in order to be an appropriate vessel? And if I am also a recipient of peace, how must I prepare my heart and mind and life to make room for it?

When I begin to think of this little moment in worship as something real, not a "just because" formality, then I realize each Sunday, each moment really when I'm with brothers and sisters in Christ, I have an opportunity for blessing and to be blessed. Each greeting of peace is a moment when I can remember God's grace and act in thanksgiving.

During Advent, we're preparing ourselves to receive the ultimate greeting of peace, the ultimate "peace be with you!" The God who has seen his people turn away from him again and again, has reached out all the way into our hard, dirty reality and offered, in the flesh, reconciliation.

Peace. Peace. Peace. That greeting that ripples throughout our sanctuaries is an echo of God's great passing of the peace to his creation. That echo will continue to reverberate throughout history, to touch communities, to change attitudes, and to ring between our own ears. Let's make sure we're listening.

Prayer
Lord God, Prince of Peace, as you have reached out in reconciliation to us, help us to reach out to one another in reconciliation. Help us to learn what makes for peace in our own hearts, in our families, in our neighborhoods and around the world. When we greet one another with peace, let us remember you, and fill us with the desire to pass peace on to everyone we encounter.

Pursue Peace
Start a group a your church that focuses on peace/peacemaking. Select books on peacebuilding to read and discuss together, invite speakers (contact OSJ or CRWRC for ideas) to challenge and inspire you, or organize community projects that "pass the peace." Contact Kate Kooyman for ideas and assistance in starting a group.

Tracy Young is communications consultant for the Office of Social Justice.