Every Ending A Beginning

Path to Peace began on Sunday, January 1, 2012, a few days before my first overseas medical mission trip. It was a weekly two-sided insert with several components. There were weekly lectionary readings, a moment of peace, two prayers, joys, concerns, birthdays and anniversaries. Eventually they were distributed Sunday nights by email as well. The format stayed the same for over ten years.

It was a fun challenge. I would find the lectionary readings in my inclusive bible and extract the verses that spoke to me. For hours or days I lived with these words, eventually writing a prayer and a thought for the week. Each of them was ninety-two words long, filling their allotted space.

Early on I would teach about spiritual leaders, social justice issues or important events that week in history. For a year I focused on members of our Peace family- a new saint every week. Eventually the paragraph became more consistently spiritual, more bible-based, always with a social justice twist. There were usually small clues into my emotional state as well. Content, anxious, depressed, optimistic- it’s all there.

Nearly 550 inserts, never missing a week, never intentionally repeating a thought or a prayer. But now I feel like it’s run its course. I don’t get much out of writing them anymore and fear I’ll begin to repeat myself. Many of you didn’t know I wrote these nor will notice that I’ve stopped. And that’s ok. I did them for myself. And for Holly. And for the people who occasionally found something thought-provoking or comforting in them.

I’m forever grateful to Holly for allowing me such freedom with the Path to Peace. I explored so many ideas and interests while doing my best to teach and inspire. I pray that this new season allows me to open space for new ways to celebrate the time I’ve been given on this earth.