The last in our series of Lent devotions
Even though my husband of almost 20 years and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, we still support each other. We don’t have to get rid of every stressful situation; we need only learn how to embrace peace and have peace.
We have learned the difference between resolution and reconciliation, and we have come to know that creating and maintaining peace requires having a forgiving attitude and a commitment to the welfare of another.
At Habitat for Humanity, we seek to put God’s love into action by building peaceful interactions throughout the worldwide communities we serve. One of our greatest strengths for over four decades has been the ability to bring people together. We tear down walls metaphorically as we build them literally.
In responding with compassion to the world's shelter needs, we find opportunities to promote peace. We demonstrate that forgiveness and reconciliation are about shifting and transforming people’s attitudes, prejudices and perceptions about the “other.”
The Prince of Peace, described in Isaiah 9:6, gave us faith, compassion, forgiveness, repentance, gratitude, God’s word, prayer and hope to help us find and create peace.
During this last week before Easter, known as Holy Week, we recall the events that began with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and ended with the cross and then the empty tomb.
We are reminded that Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice calls us to a ministry of reconciliation and that living as one who loves Jesus means seeking to live in peace with others.
As we have during all of this Lenten season, may we continue this week to focus on the kind of “agape” love that calls us to act selflessly for the well-being of others, and may we take intentional steps to draw closer to God.
Lord, thank You for Your love, grace and mercy. Please help us to be ambassadors for peace. Enable us through the peace shown to us by Your spirit to be a driving force to make the world a better place. May Your divine love enter the heart and mind of every soul on earth so that we may share “agape” love with others. Help us to be blind to the race, religion, politics and wealth that disconnect, separate, divide and classify us. Lord, please bring peace to our world, and let it begin in me. Amen.
