Jesus calls us in our gospel today "to be at peace with one another". When we look at the world around us, both near and far, at all the myriad divisions among us, both great and small, it's hard to imagine that we could ever find humanity at peace.

Since God is well aware of how far off track we are, "Jesus calls us o'er the tumult of our life's wild, restless sea, day by day his sweet voice soundeth, saying, 'Christian, follow me.' " (Hymnal 1982, #549) If we respond to his call, and come to walk in the way of Christ Jesus, giving up ourselves to others without reserve, we will have peace in our hearts, "the peace that passes all understanding".(Phil.4:7) Being at peace flows from loving one another as God loves us, forgiving one another as God has forgiven us, accepting one another--warts, and all--as God accepts us, as we are, where we are on our journey through this world.

There is wisdom in the old song, "Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me"--peace can only begin one heart at a time. When we realize we are powerless to make a difference on our own, we can turn to our God of peace, for whom nothing is impossible, perhaps with a prayer attributed to Saint Francis:

"Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon;

where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that we 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. Amen.