Recently, various events have happened  in my direction, and together, they have helped me to see ‘Peace’, and ‘Relationships for Peace’ in a new way. 

I have been visiting a family – a very good family, with good values and strength of conviction about all that is good; however, within the family itself, things are not ‘easy’, as there are issues with the children that are giving rise to a need for conflict resolution. Nobody would suspect this from the outside.  Truly, there is great joy in the family; but, there are also some serious issues. 

Another continuing experience concerns a Religious Community, I know, which does a great deal of good. Yet, among its members, it is more or less dysfunctional, but overall, people find God, despite the wounds that are visible within. 

I visited Manfred about whom I wrote last week.  In doing so, I realise how a man, relatively young, can be faced with very serious health problems – something all of us will face one day – and remain, not only positive, but joyful within all the ‘ups and downs’ of life. He knows that Jesus is his Peace – not a platitude for him – but a living experience, with the living and risen Lord. 

Finally, I came across the below shown Peace Icon. It was produced in 1999, before the Year 2000 Olympic Games, for Pax Christi in the monastery of St. John near Jerusalem. It is the icon that is copied in a prayer card, linked to promoting 100 days of peace for the world, over the period of the Olympics. This tradition of peace goes back to the original Olympics in Greece, when a truce was called to allow the athletes, competing at the games, to travel peacefully to the Olympic venue. In 1992, the Olympic Games Committee revived the idea of the ‘truce’ or ‘peace’, and promoted that very important idea of ‘Peace through Sport and the Olympic Ideal’. The idea has been repeated  on the occasion of the Olympics, ever since.

“Christ is our Reconciliation” is the vitally important message conveyed by the icon. It depicts important people throughout the Biblical times, (and history), all of whom stood for peace. The main figure shows Esau and Jacob embracing; this pre-figures peace between Jews and Arabs. There are other important people depicted on the icon, for example St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.  For my own part, I would pray for peace in the Holy Land, and especially in the Middle East, highlighting  the conflicts going on in the countries of Iraq and Syria, at the present time. 

NOTE:  This week-end, should they wish, those readers attending our Church, will be able to pick up one of these icons; it has the Prayer for Peace on the reverse.  To find out more about the icon visit

 http://www.peacelegacy.org.uk/About%20the%20Icon.pdf

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