And if peace is what we pray for and peace is what we give, then peace will be the way we are, and peace the way we live.  Yes there still is the time to turn around, and make all hatred cease, and give another name to living, and we can call it peace. (Excerpt from The Peace Poem written by John Denver)

I recently used this poem at Xperience in a sermon on peace. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed by the violence and war of the world. Somehow, it has become easy for some to justify such violence, even though Jesus was clear that we who live by the sword also die by it. No matter, we cannot sit idly by and do nothing—especially if we are faithful. 

​

I believe the easiest way to help bring peace (and joy and love) is to provide a random act of kindness for someone else. If all of us who are faithful committed to just one small daily act for another, we could bring about change in our small circles of the world. And that change would be gentle peace. Try it. Tip your server extravagantly. Pay for someone’s food or gas or coffee. Smile at the cashier. Wave someone through the stop sign. Talk with a new neighbor. Bake and give away some cookies or lasagna. If you need other ideas, search on-line. This is doable. And it’s faithful. Gentle. Peaceful.

​

When I got to my vehicle on Sunday night after

Xperience, there was a duck on the door handle.

With the word peace and a peace sign on it. A small,

kind act. An amazing sign for this preacher! 

​

And if peace is what we pray for and peace is what we

give, then peace will be the way we are, and peace the

way we live.  Yes there still is the time to turn around,

and make all hatred cease, and give another name to

living, and we can call it peace.  

​

Peace friends.

Kelly