“A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be vast authority and endless peace for David’s throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever.” — the Book of Isaiah
During the second week of Advent we light the Peace candle. Jesus was called “Prince of Peace.” We can think of this as the metaphor of royalty in the Reign of God. This name as applied to Jesus points us to our role as those who help bring about a peaceful existence in which all people thrive. This is our prayer for our community, our nation, and our world.
Adapted from Dr. Marcia McFee’s Advent Resource
What is your prayer for peace this week? What was a moment this week that, looking back, you experienced a feeling of peace?
“from spiralling ecstatically this”
+ e e cummings
from spiralling ecstatically this
proud nowhere of earth’s most prodigious night
blossoms a newborn babe:around him,eyes
— gifted with ever keener appetite
than mere unmiracle can quite appease —
humbly in their imagined bodies kneel
(over time space doom dream while floats the whole
perhapsless mystery of paradise)
mind without soul may blast some universe
to might have been,and stop ten thousand stars
but not one heartbeat of this child;nor shall
even prevail a million questionings
against the silence of his mother’s smile
— whose only secret all creation sings
+ e e cummings