Rev. Donna Vande Kieft
Rev. Donna Vande Kieft
Some find thoughts about peacemaking “too Kumbaya.” That what is needed is action. I propose we need the Kumbaya posture to move toward effective action. Kumbaya is a traditional spiritual song that means “come by here, my Lord” in Gullah language. The song was popularized by the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. Today’s word for Kumbaya could be contemplative. Richard Rohr, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation advocates that we need both: Action and Contemplation. The Bible, read in context, used as a prompt for deep loving action rooted in contemplation calls for us to be agents of healing and wholeness, non-violent peacemakers in a fractured world.
Violence does not work. And, it’s not just physical violence. If we are honest with ourselves, we admit that we have a vengeful streak within us. Look at thoughts, opinions, language, even self-talk. There are many violent images and words being tossed about (i.e., road rage, social media, news, etc.) All. The. Time. Practicing non-violence takes time, learning the language of non-violence, the language of seeing the good in others, in ourselves, and acknowledging it in the language of virtues, all of which are non-violent at their core.
Prayer for World Peace (used with permission)
—Sister Joan Chittister
Great God,
who has told us “Vengeance is mine,”
save us from ourselves,
save us from the vengeance in our hearts and the acid in our souls.
Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt,
to punish as we have been punished,
to terrorize as we have been terrorized.
Give us the strength it takes to listen rather than to judge,
to trust rather than to fear,
to try again and again to make peace even when peace eludes us.
We ask, O God, for the grace to be our best selves.
We ask for the vision to be builders of the human community rather than its destroyers.
We ask for the humility as a people to understand the fears and hopes of other people.
We ask for the love it takes to bequeath to the children of the world to become more than the failures of our own making.
We ask for the heart it takes to care for all the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, of Palestine and Israel as well as for ourselves.
Give us the depth of soul, O God, to constrain our might, to resist the temptations of power, to refuse to attack the attackable, to understand that vengeance begets violence, and to bring peace—not war—wherever we go.
For you, O God, have been merciful to us.
For you, O God, have been patient with us.
For you, O God, have been gracious to us.
And so may we be merciful and patient and gracious and trusting with these others whom you also love.
This we ask through Jesus, the one without vengeance in his heart. This we ask forever and ever.
Amen.