My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
~John 14:22
"Peace!" the angel announced.
But only if we become
calm as earth,
fluid as water,
and blazing as fire
will we be able to rise to the task of peacemaking,
and the air will stir with the rush of wings of angels
arriving to help us.
This is why I wish you that great inner stillness
which alone allows us to speak,
even today, of 'peace on earth'
~Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB
Peace is born in stillness and silence. Jesus was born in a quiet stable, and the shepherds were on the mountain quietly watching over their flocks. Both were apart from the noisy city of Bethlehem when the angels appeared and proclaimed Peace. Our peace is also birthed in stillness.
Joan Chittister writes, "Silence is the beginning of peace....Noise protects us from confronting ourselves, but silence speaks the language of the heart."
When we are caught up in the whirling busyness of our lives, stillness and silence can seem impossible and almost counter-cultural, especially in this bustling and hustling season of trying to create the "perfect Christmas." It may feel like peace can only be found once all our shopping is done, all the cookies are baked, and packages are wrapped and under the tree. Maybe then we can take a few quiet moments.
In her book Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert shares wisdom about peace from an Irish dairy farmer named Sean, who tells her:
"Imagine that the universe is a great spinning engine. You want to stay near the core of the thing -- right in the hub of the wheel -- not out at the edges where all the wild whirling takes place, where you can get frayed and crazy. The hub of calmness -- that's your heart. That's where God lives within you. So stop looking for answers in the world. Just keep coming back to that center and you'll always find peace."
It is helpful to remember that the outside world does not hold answers for us. Do not look there. Instead, go into the silence of the cave of your heart to where God lives within you. It's not an easy journey to the place of inner peace; there are always so many distractions and busyness that feel urgent -- that "wild whirling" that can "fray" us. But it is a trustworthy path that we can keep returning to one small step at a time. As the dairy farmer Sean says, "just keep coming back to the center - that's where God lives..."
Closing Prayer:
In the busyness of this day
grant me a stillness of seeing, O God.
In the conflicting voices of my heart
grant me a calmness of hearing.
Let my seeing and hearing
my words and my actions
be rooted in a silent certainty of your presence.
Let my passions for life
and the longings for justice that stir within me
be grounded in the experience of your stillness.
Let my life be rooted in the ground of your peace, O God,
let me be rooted in the depths of your peace.
~J. Philip Newell
For reflection:
What helps you find peace in this busy holiday season when you feel "frayed"?
What pulls you away from peace? What "frays' you most? It helps to be aware of what distracts us so we can pray for God's grace in these areas.
Is there a simple spiritual practice that would help you take a few minutes of silence and stillness each day? Listening to peaceful music, walking outdoors, gentle stretching, meditation or centering prayer, lighting a candle**?
Sources:
Gunilla Norris, Inviting Silence, New York: Bluebridge Books, 2004
Joan Chittister, monasteriesoftheheart.org
Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love, New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2006
J. Philip Newell, Celtic Benediction, Norwich, England: Canterbury Press, 2000
**here is a link to the candles I use for my morning devotional time. They burn for almost exactly 20 minutes:
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