Good morning…
Yesterday, a longtime friend texted in the morning. “This is such a God-wink,” she wrote. “Henri Nouwen’s devotional appeared, back to back, with your message for today, Peace From Beyond.”
Our blog post ended with this blessing: May peace fill our lungs and release our tense shoulders, as we return, again and again, to a state of surrender: “God, I trust you with what I can’t control.”
Then a God-wink occurred.
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The Self-Emptied Person by Henri Nouwen
If you claim nothing as your own, including your own life, you can expose the illusion of control and the false basis of war and violence by refusing any compromise with evil. Thus the self-emptied person is the true revolutionary in the world. How might we stand aside from all our demands and desires in this age of consumerism and militarism and seek peace within – peace for our immediate community and peace for the world?
*****
Emptying ourselves of the illusion of control and the false basis of war and violence, standing aside from all our demands and desires, resisting consumerism and militarism, might we refuse any compromise with evil? Surrendering to God’s Spirit, we seek peace within, peace for our immediate community and peace for the world.
Now the Bible verse which guided us earlier in the week draws us back down into our center.
See truly; look carefully—darkness blankets the earth;
people all over are cloaked in darkness.
But God will rise and shine on you;
the Eternal’s bright glory will shine on you, a light for all to see.
Nations north and south, peoples east and west, will be drawn to your light,
will find purpose and direction by your light.
In the radiance of your rising, you will enlighten the leaders of nations (Isaiah 60:2-3, VOICE).
Returning, again and again, to a state of surrender, God’s radiance shines through us, offering peace to all peoples.
…Sue…
