"As a mother comforts her child, I will comfort you... you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice...." -Isaiah
".. but new creation is everything"... -Paul
"Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house'"...- Jesus
"It is a lie-- any talk of God that does not comfort you" -- Meister Eckhart
"Once you meet the God of Love, you fire all the other "gods""... Mirabai Starr
Beloved, may you practice filling your heart with words of peace, with words of love, with words of life. For it is when we begin to notice that God is always loving you, holding you, comforting you as a mother comforts her child, that your frightened mind will begin to un-claw from the narratives of judgement and separation long enough to be able to begin to see in a new way. I think Isaiah's order of the words: comfort and then seeing and then rejoicing are poignant and true... for when we let go of the spinning narratives from a frightened humanity, obsessed with control; when we unlearn these narratives and lean into Paul's truth that "new creation is everything", we finally begin to let go of the old, sad, sacry narratives of a "God of condemnation and rules, scaring us to measure up” and instead lean into the God we actually have: A God who is Love, too busy delighting in us to be thinking of anything else, inviting us to simply show up for ourselves and community by seeing in new, inclusive ways of comfort and peace.
It is time for new narratives, Sweet one, for “newness is everything”. It is time to begin to realize that any narrative that throws people away is not from God, but from a lost and scared people....The old/empire narrative of “peace” was seen through the lens of taking over anyone that thought differently with force in the name of “safety/god”; the new narrative of peace we see in Jesus is “Peace” through love, mercy and inclusion. The narrative of God unites in love and exquisite diversity and asks that we always lead with the “new creation” Peace we see in Christ and if our peace is not welcomed, that we respect their decision and move on in the hopes that one day they will be ready to hear the words of comfort, and see in new, loving ways... “New Creation” is Peace, for creation comforts, holds and loves into being, never connected to destruction or cruelty… that there is the opposite of “creation”.
We cannot change anyone, but we can love them. We can shine our lights on their hearts in the hopes that they might become willing to notice love always inviting them home, to where they already are, "the kingdom of God"... here and now longing for us to notice, to know Love and Cultivate Peace that we have learned is not in competition or dominance or even in rules, those are "old narratives", but a "heaven" a "peace" beyond these ways that the world sees, a peace that is found once we begin to know differently, in new ways ; once we have allowed Love to comfort us, quiet our spinning minds that we might see through the eyes of our hearts and hear the precious song of God, "Peace be with you. I Love you. I Love you. I Love you. and I Love them, too. .. Go, two by two, for we were never meant to be alone, and do likewise"....
Grace and Peace, Friends.
I love you, my friend! ❤️