Peace is often
thought of as tranquility, harmony, freedom from conflict, either in the world or in our relationships. But how do we have peace in our hearts when everything around us is in chaos? And how do we have peace when it is defined differently by others? On this National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we remember that after World War II, a new world order was established to keep us safe from war. Alliances would protect one another. In that battle, America fought to defend democracy from fascism, and now, we sit in America on the brink of fascism. Heather Cox Richardson’s letter last night says, “They (Our Administration) have fired women, Black Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ Americans from positions in the government and the military and erased them from official histories. They have seized, incarcerated, and deported immigrants–or rendered them to third countries to be tortured–and have sent federal agents and federal troops into Democratic-led cities to terrorize the people living there. They have traded the rule of law for the rule of Trump, weaponizing the Department of Justice against those they perceive as enemies, pardoning loyalists convicted of crimes, and now, executing those they declare are members of drug cartels without evidence, charges, or trials. They have openly rejected the world based on shared values of equality and democracy for which Americans fought in World War II. In its place, they are building a world dominated by a small group of elites close to Trump, who are raking in vast amounts of money from their machinations.” (link below)
I sit here at my kitchen table with my Advent wreath, after lighting the second candle, which signifies “peace.” I pray I might continue to find ways for my heart and soul to be at peace, even as I see and feel so much around me that is not peaceful.
I pray for those tonight who are in harm’s way. I pray for our country and our communities to be aware, awake, and to care about others. It is so easy to demonize human beings and make them something to hate. But we are all God’s beloved humans, no matter the color of our skin, the culture we carry, or who we love. We are all looking for peace in our lives. Last week’s light of hope burns beside tonight’s light of peace. I hope for peace in my heart, in my community, in my relationships, in our country, and in the world.
In the words of poet Amanda Gorman, “We will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one. There is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it–“
You are a beloved child of God. Take care of your heart and soul. Peace be with you.
https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/december-6-2025?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email