Happy Universal Peace Day!

If you are like me, you had no idea there was a Universal Peace Day or that it is on August 5th.  And much to my high school US History teacher’s chagrin, I did not remember that the significance of 8/5 is that this day, 70 years ago, the United States dropped atom bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Yes, this action helped end a terrible war, but it was at the cost of much innocence, not only lives but also the knowledge of destruction. It is fitting that a redemptive day of peace is invoked on such an occasion, drawing us back into a place of brotherly love.
In the Japanese culture, the crane is a sign of peace, and at the suggestion of the resource “Taking Faith Home,” we decided to make origami cranes at the National Night Out hosted by South Brunswick Township at Rowland Park last night.  It was a great activity to draw kids and families over to our table – a non-threatening way to invite people to be at peace.
One man came to the table, very intrigued by the idea and got busy folding the paper.  He stopped for a moment and asked if it was OK that a Jewish man was at the Episcopal table.  “Of course,” I said in order to make him comfortable, “we are all neighbors.”
The children really enjoyed making the cranes, even if their parents were a bit concerned about how we would interact.  I chose not to ask our visitors about their relationship with Jesus Christ, but instead showed his hospitality by inviting people into a non-threatening environment, offering God’s peace that passes all understanding.  It make for a great experience and a reminder that even in a community as diverse as South Brunswick, we all share a desire to live peacefully with each other, even when our religion or politics or skin color is different.
I was very pleased that several people commented on the Thanksgiving service that the Interfaith Clergy Association hosts every year the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  It showed me that it is an important opportunity for our community to gather in a way that is, again, non-threatening and welcoming to the other.  We are all able to come together to give thanks for the abundance of God’s love, grace and peace.
We learn to be at peace with each other by being together, by learning that the other is not as much of a threat as we thought.  Rather, the other, as different as he or she may be from us, desires the same things we do, and through that we find our commonality.  On these common interests, we can build a future that does not require bombs, yet it may feel more threatening because it requires us to be vulnerable. 
Jesus told his disciples, “Peace be with you.”  In the midst of chaos, confusion and fear, perhaps the last thing we expect to feel is peace.  However, on this day when we celebrate peace, it is the most important – and challenging – response we can offer our neighbor and ourselves. 
In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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