Peace One Day: What if it were today?

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. 

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 

Matthew 5:38-48

What if we lived those words for just one day? What if that happened today?

Today is United Nations Peace Day, or Peace One Day. What if we lived the words of Jesus today in our homes, our neighborhood, our workplace and on the killing fields of the earth? What if the fighting and shooting stopped for just a single day? What would the world look like? Who would live? How might we live the next day?

Today is a good day to start. 

Have a look at this:

Peace One Day: Please join us

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. 

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 

Matthew 5:38-48

What if we lived those words for just one day?

Today's gospel lesson from Matthew 5:38-48 for Morning Prayer could not be more appropriate. Today is United Nations Peace Day. What if we lived the words of Jesus today in our homes, our neighborhood, our workplace and on the killing fields of the earth? What if the fighting and shooting stopped for just a single day? What would the world look like? Who would live? How might we live the next day?

Today is a good day to start.

Please join us this evening at St. Paul's Memorial Church for a special observance of United Nations Peace Day at 5:30 pm, dinner at 6:15 pm and a showing at 7 pm of Jeremy Gilley's film Peace One Day. Here is a brief film about the Peace One Day effort:

What if the world stopped shooting for just one day? Join us for Peace One Day on Wednesday

Let me invite you to join us for a special observance of United Nations Peace Day beginning at 5:30 pm on Wednesday at St. Paul's.

Peace One Day is the dream of a British filmmaker, Jeremy Gilley, who proposed in 1998 that we set aside one day a year -- Sept. 21 -- as a ceasefire from all warfare and violence across the globe. He won the endorsement of the UN just four days before the attacks on New York on Sept. 11, 2001, and he has been working every since to make this idea of ceasefire a reality.

On Wednesday at 5:30 pm we will have music, prayers and a special observance of Peace One Day. Then please come to our Community Night dinner (free!). During dinner we will give brief presentations on the programs and ministries we are involved with that help make the world a more peaceful place.

At 7 pm we will show Gilley's latest film documenting Peace One Day. I hope you will find it as inspirational as I have. Let's be a part of this incredible effort, one day at time. Who better than us? Please come on Wednesday.

For more information about Peace One Day, click HERE and short promotional film is below:

Today: Peace One Day; Prayers for Peace

Today is the United Nations Peace One Day -- a day of ceasefire, a day to pause, a day to pray, a day to stop sniping with bullets and words, as our Associate Rector Ann Willms reminded us Sunday in a hugely powerful sermon.

A year ago we held a day of "Prayers for Peace." I'd like to offer a few of those prayers we offered a year ago. First, though, please watch this three-minute video. I found it hugely moving. The prayers follow underneath the video.

Prayers for Peace

Prayer by Julian of Norwich (1342-1416):

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and savior. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen.

A Prayer for the California State Senate

Here is one of the prayers I wrote for the California State Senate in 2006. I wish it was out-of-date:

Almighty God, we pray that the leaders of all nations will work unceasingly for peace and reconcilliation in the many troubled lands of this earth. We pray especially for peace in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we ask that all who are serving our nation will be protected by your embrace and will return safely home soon. Amen.


A Prayer by Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Lord, open our eyes, that we may see you in our brothers and sisters.

Lord, open our ears, that we may hear the cries of hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed.

Lord, open our hearts, that we may love each other as you love us.

Renew in us your spirit, Lord, free us and make us one. Amen.

A Jewish Shabbat Prayer for Peace

You have given us the power, O God, to bring peace and justice into the world. May we always love peace and pursue it, and love our fellow creatures. Fill Your children with kindness, wisdom, and love. Then shall they learn to live at peace.

Blessed is the Lord, Teacher of Peace.

A Muslim Prayer for Peace

God made this universe from love

For Him to be the Father of.

There cannot be

Another such as He.

What duty more exquiste is

Than loving with a love like His?

A better task

No one could ever ask.

Rahman Baba

Buddhist Prayer

May all beings have happiness, and the causes of happiness; May all be free from sorrow, and the causes of sorrow; May all never be separated from the sacred happiness which is sorrowless; And may live in equanimity, without too much attachment and too much aversion, And live believing in the equality of all that lives.

Shalom, Salaam, Peace

Peace One Day: Let's do something

This Monday is Peace One Day, a day set aside by the United Nations to declare a ceasefire the world over, to pause in the violence, to attempt considering what we are doing to each other and to this planet. One day.

Peace One Day began in 1998 as the dream of a British filmmaker. The UN endorsed the idea, and it has spread from the streets up from country to country.

I invite all of us to stop Monday, pray for peace, to do something concrete that will spread peace, if only for a moment. And please join us Monday for our noon Prayers for Peace at St. Paul's, or stop wherever you are at noon and pray for peace. I will offer a few prayers for peace in this space on Monday.

And please, watch this video. It is only 60 seconds. Take a minute to watch, and then take a day for peace.

The Monday Funnies will return a week from Monday.