HELLO!

God will cover you with God’s pinions, and under God’s wings you will find refuge; God’s faithfulness is a shield and defense. Psalm 91:4

The snare of the fowler will never capture you, And famine will bring you no fear; Under His Wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, Hold you in the palm of His Hand. Voices United 808 On Eagles Wings – based on Psalm 91

“This pair of eagles was sitting on a very tall tree outside my window this afternoon, just before the snow became heavy. They made me think of the melody On Eagles Wings as well as Scriptures on eagles. They are magnificent creatures of nature.” Betty Nickerson (with permission)

What brings you peace? There is personal peace, there is the peace of your surroundings and kin. And there is collective people, which includes all Creation. Peace is NOT the absence of war. I recall a Holocaust survivor speaking to a seminar on peace many years ago, he told us before World War Two he felt no peace as the Nazi were rounding up Jews for concentration camps. The streets were quiet, no shots fired. But there was no peace. Likewise, there is a ceasefire in Gaza now, but those without food or shelter do not know peace. Our planet is in peril. Governments are retreating from climate change protections as citizens focus on affordability as economies stagnate. Creation is not at peace. I found the contrast of the peace of heavy snow on the trees (today), its beauty in stillness, with the news from BC, startling. It reminded me again, that life, our lives, the lives of those who came before us, those that will come after our deaths, will always include beauty and tragedy.

Where is peace in these moments? Sometimes we retreat from the larger world, to find peace in Creation, in our personal relationships, in soothing music, meditation, art. Or we find it in diversion, sports (Super Bowl, Olympics). Cynics might say spirituality or religion is such a diversion, Marx and Nietzsche certainly did. But the resiliency of faith speaks to somethings rationalists have long under-estimated, the power of deep belonging, of connection, neighbour to neighbour, to a mission greater than self, we are not alone. I’ve been rereading a book written by a former professor of mine, Nature as Landscape: Dwelling and Understanding by Kraft E. Von Maltzahn. It’s available here in Dartmouth: https://www.doullbooks.com/product/128795/Nature-as-Landscape-Dwelling-and-Understanding-First-Edition-in-dustjacket It’s a reminder of our roots, our sense of purpose, and how love protects us from despair.

Obviously, all humans give in to despair, loss, that we are alone. But moments as Betty describes provide us with glimmers of hope and peace. Peace is not the absence of war, it is the embodiment of love, for all.

Peace, Kevin