Called to be Peace

Lord,
We really need you
to intervene.

I am not chicken little
I do not believe "the sky is falling"
or that the world is coming
to an apocolyptic end -- not yet.

But recently I was reminded
of a popular song
from my high school days:
"It's the end of the world
as we know it..." -- sung by REM.
They went on to sing, "And I feel fine..."
But I don't.
I feel scared, worried,
overwhelmed and uncertain.

You ARE still in charge right?!?
You do hear our cries for help?!?

A conversation with a mentor reminded me
that there have been aweful times before:
the aweful blood shed of brothers in the Civil War,
the extreme poverty of the great depression,
the death and violence in Nazi gas chambers,
the world changing destruction of the atomic bombs dropped,
the assisnation of presidents of the USA,
the assisnation of civil rights pastors,
never mind the Roman Occupying armies in Israel,
Lord, when you are walking on earth.

Through it all,
you were weeping for your world,
calling for peace,
raising up leaders to embody peace...

I pray you are doing the same now.
But I am scared
that you are calling me
to be one of those leaders.

Help me,
together with your disciples,
your church,
to be your peace for the world.
United amidst our disagreements.
Arm in arm in our diversity.
Praying and working together for peace.
Amen.