“Lord, now let your servant
go in peace; your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the
salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light
to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.” – Lk. 2:29-32
I’m inspired by Simeon’s
response to seeing the baby Jesus in today’s
Gospel. He remained steadfast in
his hope, embraced the gift of the Christ child once He arrived, and moved from
a place of peace from there. How does that work nowadays though, with going
back to work, school, and so forth? Yes with joys and excitements but also
struggles and unresolved concerns, personal hopes from Advent still waiting to
be fulfilled? What if I want to stay away from those questions for at least a
bit longer?
A quote I came across
recently from E’yen Gardner provides some encouragement: "Being still does not mean don't move. It means move
in peace." I am at peace not because my life is all together, or because
there are no challenges, or because I am not afraid. In fact, none of these are
true right now, and I would be surprised if they ever were (even though I admit
at times it would feel nice).
No, I am at peace because I
know that I am heading towards my brightest light, that is, a fuller unfolding
of Jesus within and through me; because I know He, Mary, the angels, family,
friends, and so many more are by my side, guiding, protecting, praying for, and
more than anything else simply being with me; because I know that I am being
led, moment by moment, more completely into discovering and living out my own
path; because God is sending down His love in an overwhelming downpour in so
many ways that cannot and will not be stopped. This is the peace promised to
all of us, so that we can echo Simeon’s words in our own way each day.
The peace that says I am more
vulnerable, and so I am that much more courageous.
The peace that says I am
weaker, and so I am that much more strong.
The peace that says I am more
broken, and so I am that much more whole.
For it is my pieces that,
offered up, are transformed into the one Piece.
And that… changes…
everything.
How can I move in further
peace today? How can I develop a sense of stillness in the midst of my day to
day to make space for this?
Quyen
Ngo
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