Peace

It’s been said that since the bathtub was invented in 1850 and the phone in 1875, ”Just think, you could have sat in the bathtub for 25 years without the phone ringing.” It always happens, doesn’t it? Just when you think you will have some peace and quiet, the phone rings, or the baby cries, or your spouse needs a hand with something. Peace is a valuable and often elusive commodity.

Dante, one of the great Renaissance writers, was exiled from his home in Florence, Italy. Depressed, he decided to walk from Italy to Paris where he planned to study philosophy and seek the meaning of life. One night along the journey, Dante, weary from his travels, knocked at the door of Santa Croce Monastery. A surly brother finally came to the door. He flung it open, and in a gruff voice asked, “What do you want?” Dante answered in a single word, “Peace.”

I wonder where you find peace. For some folks, it may be a walk in nature. For others, it might be a few minutes of quiet time in the morning. For others still, it could be hiking in the mountains, playing in the ocean, worshiping in a beautiful sanctuary, or just sitting still. Wherever it might be for you, I do hope that you would find time to “unplug” from the busy world around you, let go of the worries and stress of the day, and recharge your soul.

Let us pray: Loving God, deep down we yearn for a life that is centered and whole. Inspire us to set time aside to enjoy the beauty of the present moment. And as we do, may we find ourselves surrounded by your peace. Out of that peace, may we live and serve; through Christ. Amen.