Meditation: Where does peace begin?

News report Friday 1 July

"Around 66,000 children are at family violence incidents attended by police each year.  

Many of those children will not receive counselling or other support, despite the long-term problems witnessing such violence and distress is known to cause.  

Starting today, a new family violence pilot in Christchurch will handle police referrals, and focus on all family members - perpetrators and victims, including children who may not be physically abused.  

The roughly 175 reports of family violence each week in the city will be responded to by an inter-agency team, operating seven days a week."

The little girl
It starts as fun. 
My Momma and Daddy drinking,
playing, teasing, tickling 
but then Daddy gets angry. 
I back away, staring, not wanting to see 
but eyes so wide I have to see. 
I feel my hands ball up 
as I scream STOP inside my head.

Mother
It always ends up like this. 
Starts as fun, but anger is always near, 
fear always close by. 
I wasn't much good at school  
but always strong in sports: 
I could hit back 
but that makes it worse. 
And the worst is: I know he loves us.

Father
She always says something stupid 
when she's drinking. 
She's always drinking. 
That gets me started. 
Too many people already look down on me: can't read, 
a few minutes late, 
don't like my language. 
Tell me off - talk down to me.
Can't control that. 
But at home I will have respect!

Me
Watching from the safe glass window of my imagination: 
not my problem, able to inspect the situation, 
not daring to think that I might be the same 
with the same background. 
There is no-thing I can do to help brothers and sisters of the same Father. 

But I also know ...
only I can bring peace:
peace in everything I do
everything I say
everything I think.

My ripples of peace touching each person, every thing,
because ripples go out from every human contact
every prayer, every touch, every feeling;
every act of love, of faith, of trust, 
each time we forgive, love, feel joy.

It is not my place to know where my ripples touch: 
God's hand upon the world.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation try Isaiah 55:8-9

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

or these famous words of Teresa of Avila

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion
is to look out to the earth,
yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good
and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.

or even the words of an earlier meditation on ripples from me: http://meditations-insights.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/meditation-ripples.html 

Re-read the passage or the meditation - maybe read it slowly aloud.

Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.         

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word PEACE or TOUCH.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.

Pilgrimage to Easter - Sixth Sunday of Lent

Palm Sunday - Passion Sunday 

Meditation for Sunday 20 March
... from the readings of the day:

... the whole multitude of his disciples
began to praise God aloud with joy ...

Luke 19:37

  

BETRAYAL
Betrayal has been coded into our DNA. Literally. It is most often seen in our little lies of self-protection, or when we lie to make ourselves look good. 

Our protective mechanisms, survival instincts hard-wired by 40 million years dodging threats and defeating enemies, always demand we protect ourselves. And suddenly - before we realise - we have denied the person we most love and admire three times.

Peter, man of action, willing - maybe even eager - to draw his sword and strike, was snared by a serving girl with words that might make him an easy scapegoat for the soldiers.

No-one's proud of it, don't mean it, just happens. 

But it wasn't the kiss of betrayal - a much more cynical act. 

And it wasn't the betrayal of tired bodies at the end of a long and emotion-filled day, suddenly at rest in a garden. 

And it wasn't a betrayal hidden by darkness and the swarming bloodlust of the pack. 

Peter's survival instincts take over his thinking: regret it, weep, make up for it for the rest of your life. Easy.

And there are two crowds in action this week, or maybe one crowd with two faces. 

One - in the light - welcoming Jesus, smiling, spreading palms, singing blessings and praise, hoping for one of their own to stand up to the priests and make trouble for the occupying army; a charismatic spokesman making them forget poverty. 

They welcomed Jesus in daylight, but later in the week, chanted his death in darkness and shadows.

We might have been there: lazy, going with the flow, on the wagon with a band (always better than in the wagon with the bars!). 

A crowd often turns human beings created in the image of God into faceless puppets: too lazy to think, too cowardly to stand alone, too motivated by stereotype and fear to make ethical decisions, enthralled by the bloodlust of the hunt. 

We thank God there was third group, almost a congregation. Luke notes them: within speaking distance, not hiding wrapped in ego, just there. A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him.

We thank God there is a place for us this week, maybe with Peter (near but ruled by fear), certainly not with Judas, we pray not with the Passover night pack - but maybe standing quietly, steadfast, true, grieving: the congregation on the way to Calvary.

Suggestions for meditation
Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".

The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation, try this from one of today's readings, Luke 19:35-38

So they brought it to Jesus,
threw their cloaks over the colt,
and helped Jesus to mount.
As he rode along,
the people were spreading their cloaks on the road;
and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of his disciples
began to praise God aloud with joy
for all the mighty deeds they had seen.
They proclaimed:
“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.”

... and/or read Luke 23:20-23

Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus,
but they continued their shouting,
“Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Pilate addressed them a third time,
“What evil has this man done?
I found him guilty of no capital crime.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”
With loud shouts, however,
they persisted in calling for his crucifixion,
and their voices prevailed. 

Focus on a significant word or phrase in this passage or the meditation for a few moments.

Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.

Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word TRUE or ALONE.

You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).

You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.

After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.