The first scripture reading for the Second Sunday after Pentecost caught my attention in a new way. Jeremiah is not one of my favorite prophets because his voice seems eternally whiney. So the first thing that caught my attention about Jeremiah 28:5-9 was that for Jeremiah, the reading sounded positive. The second thing that caught my attention was his description of a prophet who does not prophesy gloom and doom, but speaks of one to prophesy peace.
The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet. (verses 8-9)
Because the Lutheran church is a liturgical church, I'm sure this reading has come up before in the lectionary and yet, I don't remember it. When we think of prophets in this day and time most of us think of the man standing on the corner of a street calling all who pass as wicked and doomed. We've learned to ignore these men and go on about our business. What would we think if one day, one of these modern prophets did proclaim peace?
The same week that this text came up in the lectionary cycle, I was reading Thich Nhat Hanh's new book "Peace is Every Breath". Breathing prayers are an important part of spiritual practice so I was curious to see what his book had to say.
Thich Nhat Hanh's style of writing is rich with meaning and yet easy to read. Reminiscent of the Tao Te Ching, Hanh has the ability so say much with few words. He explains briefly the life at Plum Village and how the meditations in the book are used to enhance prayer in daily living. The prayers and meditations focus on the beauty of the ordinary and are grounded in life that all of us can comprehend. The book is written to give the modern person easy access to Buddhist tradition in everyday life. The dedication page lists a meditation to give a sample of the rich writing that follows:
Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand-new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully each moment
and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.
When I first started the book, I added it to my morning meditation and was so drawn to each writing that soon I had completed the book. While Thich Nhat Hanh's book is focused on the Buddhist tradition, his writing and approach to life complements that of the Christian who wishes to lead a peaceful life in a busy world. His hope is the reader finds the book so accessible that she can easily practice these living meditations in the workplace or home. The book's content is so soothing and gentle that as I thumb through the pages to write this article I find my spirit calming down and my breathing regulated.
In a world where activity and movement are the norm, we need more understanding of quiet and peace. In a world where wars abound many of us think that peace is only the absence of war. The beauty of the book "Peace is Every Breath" is that it reminds us that peace begins in each individual life and when we practice peace, the world around us is changed. We are the peace the world needs.
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