I believe there are certain elements that must always be present for peace to break out. Things like forgiveness, gratefulness, generosity of spirit (AKA kindness), mindfulness, and openness of heart (AKA love) are just a few. If I had to choose just one, I’d choose love. Ultimately, love is what will lead us to peace.

I further believe that all the elements of peace are really just different ways to express love. Peace comes when we love others as ourselves and when we love ourselves with the sacred dignity that emanated from our Creator at our inception.

Our Existence Is An Expression of Divine Love

One of my favorite prayers begins, “When God’s love overflowed into creation, he thought of me. I am of love. From love. And for love.” Our mere existence is an expression of love. So why is love, and therefore peace, so hard?

“We have lost sight of the fact that we human beings are, in one respect, like small animals without even any fur or sharp teeth to protect us. What protects us is not our viciousness, but our humanity; our ability to love others and to accept the love that others want to offer us. It is not our toughness that keeps us warm at night, but our tenderness which makes others want to keep us warm.” Harold Lyon in Tenderness is Strength

Choose Love Every Moment of Every Day

“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus teaches. On one level it is so simple and on another, so profoundly difficult. Love isn’t always easy.  It can be challenging, and even painful work. There are times when we sincerely dislike ourselves. There are people who test every notion of love we have.

Some days have more challenges than others yet how we perceive those challenges determines whether they are unmanageable burdens or opportunities and invitations to love.

Everything in life is a choice. Every event or encounter presents the opening  to love oneself with sacred dignity. And every interaction with another human being presents the opportunity to give or withhold love, and to reject or receive love.  And remember: thoughts become actions, actions become habits, habits determine character, character determines destiny.

So today, choose love. And by modeling the giving and receiving of love, you may enable another person to do the same.

Reflection Questions

The full list of questions for meditation and reflection are in the Novena for Peace Ritual, Questions, & Prayers.

Today I suggest we reflect on our habit of love.

• What would you do if fear didn’t matter: if you only chose from a place of love?
• Will you let circumstances today determine the level of joy and gratitude you feel or will joy and gratitude flow simply from the loving gift of this day you’ve been given?
• Thinking over the last 24 hours, did you miss or reject an opportunity to see the Divine Spark in yourself or another and therefore miss an opportunity to love?

Thank you for taking the time to pray for peace with me. I honestly believe that each prayer makes a difference.