Peace Begins Here

Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • October 19, 2023

In Our Hands, Our Hearts, Our Actions

How do we keep our focus on Peace in this conflicted world? With conflicting viewpoints and news feeds, it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed. On Tuesday, downtown churches came together, sharing a Communal Prayer for Peace Service. My husband Andrew was one of the leaders in that service. In interviews following the service, he reminded us that we must continue to be ambassadors of Peace. So, what exactly does it mean to be a peace ambassador?

 

First, we must continue to pray, meditate, and focus our energy on Peace. If people from different faith traditions seek Peace, the Peace that passes our understanding is possible. I don’t know about you, but as I listen to the news and what is happening on Capitol Hill, the energy that serges and the words that come tend to be the opposite of Peace. In these cases, I must find a focus, so I have put the Prayer of St. Francis in arms reach.

 

 The Prayer of St. Francis


 Lord, make me an instrument of your Peace:

 where there is hatred, let me sow love;

 where there is injury, pardon;

 where there is doubt, faith;

 where there is despair, hope;

 where there is darkness, light;

 where there is sadness, joy.

 O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

 to be consoled as to console,

 to be understood as to understand,

 to be loved as to love.

 For it is in giving that we receive,

 it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

 and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

 

Other steps include promoting Peace and giving others The Prayer of St. Francis or a prayer of your choosing. Ask others to pray for Peace. Bring Peace in all circumstances. Commit to peaceful conversations and engagements. This will create a place for promoting and advocating for Peace in our world.

 

Educate yourself and find resources that promote Peace. We live in a world where we are encouraged to take sides. We must learn how to be bridges for Peace. We can do this by learning how to be peace communicators. For example, the resource of Nonviolent Communications helps develop communication-centered empathy and authenticity. Or you can become part of the Interfaith Peace Project, a group that promotes creating Peace through understanding. These are just two of many available resources. Only look, and you will find more.

 

Find a humanitarian peace initiative you believe in, help support, and commit to the effort. Your engagement could include peaceful protesting or campaigns that advocate change.

 

Finally, believe that Peace and Justice are possible for our brothers and sisters in Palestine, Israel, and this world. When I lived in Northern Ireland in the 1990's, peace seemed only a dream. Today, after years of prayers, a commitment to nonviolence, and a lot of hard work, it is a reality. Believe we can be God’s instruments of Peace. That faith, hope, love, and Peace will prevail in God’s world. 

 

Peace,


Carolyn

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By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • May 12, 2026
On Sunday we will participate in our annual Bread for the World letter campaign and be reminded of “the Power of the Pen.” It is a time each year when we acknowledge we live in a world where there is more than enough for all to eat. We acknowledge Hunger is a policy choice, not an inevitability. In a season of division in our country followers of Jesus are called to put pen to paper. It is a season when we are reminded Jesus commands us, not just to "pray for the poor," but to be God's hands and feet, taking action to ensure the needy are fed. In a democratic society, the "pen"—our letters, emails, and phone calls to legislators—is a tangible, effective tool for justice, turning compassion into public policy. Join us Sunday as we welcome representatives from Bread for the World and share in The Power of the Pen.

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By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • March 31, 2026
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