peace - Part 3. peace and justice

Reflective Practice

Sit quietly for 2-3 minutes. Breath deeply and pay attention to your chest rising and falling. Allow yourself to settle. If you have racing thoughts, acknowledge them and then bring your attention back to your breath. 

Hold in your mind for a moment an issue of justice that matters to you, or that you are aware of. It could be:

• an issue of environmental justice and the state of the earth. 

• a work situation that is unjust

• your national story and any history of injustice

• an abuse of power you experienced

• another issue of injustice that comes to mind for you

Your invitation is to sit with that just for a moment, even if it’s uncomfortable. This is not about having the answers or knowing what should be done. It’s just an acknowledgement of what is.

And then imagine divine love flowing – to use the words of the prophet Amos – like a river into that injustice. Again, not all of what that looks like, but just sit with the metaphor for a moment. Divine love, present and active. Notice how it feels and what hopes might come up for you.

Now take a moment to pray that for those who are in need of justice, that in this moment, they'd experience what it is to find that river of love flowing in their direction. And for those of us who want to participate in God’s justice, that we may join in with that river and become a part of it.