Cultivate peace each day this week.
December 8: The Peace of Christ
- Scripture: John 14:27 — Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
- Meditation: Inner peace is something we cultivate, regardless of external stimuli. In part, we believe Christ’s peace transcends the chaos of the world. Human mindfulness practices reinforce such perspective. Evidence-based research shows that we can manage our internal equilibrium and wellbeing, so that even when we experience overwhelming events in the world, we respond through the filter of inner peace. This core sense of balance and grounded-ness arises through connection to a deep Holy Love; it provides a foundation from which to both observe and engage the world around us.
- Spiritual practice: Ask yourself, what aspect of Christ’s way of living speaks most deeply to you? Was it walking? Letting go of extraneous possessions? Choosing relationships with intimate companions and spending extended periods of time in their company? Retreating for times of prayer and intimate conversation with Godself? Climbijg into the mountains? Spending time on the water? Learning and becoming informed using the scriptures of his faith? Focusing on service to others, such as feeding and healing people?
What do you find in Christ’s way of living and being that you can choose as a model for developing peace within yourself? Give 5 minutes daily to such a contemplative or active discipline.
SONGS:
- Meditation on Breathing by Sara Dan Jones: https://youtu.be/VuAd-yImOt4?si=u-SXsJFA-IE2NTxC
Peace — Malcolm Guite
Not as the world gives, not the victor’s peace,
Not to be fought for, hard-won, or achieved,
Just grace and mercy, gratefully received:
An undeserved and unforeseen release,
As the cold chains of memory and wrath
Fall from our hearts before we are aware,
Their rusty locks all picked by patient prayer,
Till closed doors open, and we see a path
Descending from a source we cannot see;
A path that must be taken, hand in hand,
Only by those, forgiving and forgiven,
Who see their saviour in their enemy.
So reach for me. We’ll cross our broken land,
And make each other bridges back to Heaven.
Advent 2: PEACE Daily Devotional – Dec 8