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Dear Beloved Passing the Peace Readers, 

I hope that May arrived with beautiful blooming flowers and all sorts of spring magic. Here in the Glen, the cherry tree in the cemetery is in full bloom and it is such a spectacle! I love this time of year where all of the beautiful plants take their turns blooming leaving something beautiful unfolding to look forward to every day. This practice of wonder and paying attention to Creation’s beauty has been a good reminder for me this week, that God is always unfolding something new and beautiful in this world each and every day. Not just flowers, but blossoms of hope. Right now, across the United States and Canada there are buds of peace emerging as students on university campuses call for an end to the war in Israel/Palestine. We can see acts of solidarity leafing out teaching us just how connected we are as humans. All over the world, people are coming together to work for peace and justice in the Middle East. Our faith tells us that we are all beloved children of God - we are all connected. We know as scripture tells us, that when one part of the body suffers, the rest suffers with it, but I believe the same is true in reverse - every time we take the time to speak out for justice we are loosening the bonds of injustice on all of us. 

This Easter, our moderator Rev Dr Carmen Lansdowne called on the church to pray for peace in Israel/Palestine by joining the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage. You may recall that I helped organize a pilgrimage during Lent for our larger Western Ontario Waterways Region but I wanted to extend an invitation for those of you who feel called to participate closer to home. 

Please take a look at the event details in today’s newsletter and consider participating. Sadly, these prayers for peace are needed now more than ever as violence continues to escalate. If you feel like you need more information about Israel/Palestine to discern how you want to respond, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a conversation - I understand there’s a lot of overwhelming and confusing media out there right now. 

 

May the peace of Christ be with every peacemaker right now, especially those on the front lines, 

May the peace of Christ be with you, inspiring you to protect each sacred life we can, 

 

Yours in Christ, 

Rev Michiko