God says: For I know the plans I have in mind for you, plans for
peace, not disaster, reserving a future full of hope for you
Jeremiah 29:11 Reflection:
Spring, when we celebrate our World Day of Prayer,
is the season
to plant new seeds into the earth, so that now in June, as we read
this reflection, the first flowers will bloom and the first fruits of the
earth can be harvested.
As we reflected in March in the World Day of Prayer liturgy from
England, Wales and Northern Ireland, let us reflect again:
Seeds of Hope for Our Lives Today
Where should seeds of hope be sown in our lives?
What conditions do these seeds need in order to blossom today?
What can I do to sow such seeds of hope, to nurture them and then reap them in gratitude?
Mother God, creator of the earth, said let the earth be green and flourishing: let every kind of plant and tree grow and bear its seed and fruit!
Genesis 1:11
When soldiers plant flowers – there will be peace,
and when wheat grows in bunkers – then there will be peace.
When frogs croak in trenches – then there is peace,
and when roses bloom on the barbed wire fence – then there is peace.
When we all dream of peace – then the dream can come true,
because when we all make peace in small ways – then peace grows.
Dear God, bless us with the deep peace in the sound of the waves,
and the deep peace in the caressing wind.
God, bless us with the deep peace over the silent land,
and under the shining stars.
Dear God, bless us with the deep peace from the Son of Peace, and the Holy Spirit’s Power.
Amen.
Adapted by Vroni Peterhans-Suter from Roland Breitenbach
I, Vroni Peterhans-Suter, am writing this as President of World Day of Prayer Switzerland, but also as an organic farmer and catechist. This combination makes me a committed advocate for the theological concerns on creation.
