Crosstalk: With Rachel Coward
Peaceful persistence. "Let there be peace on Earth and lay it begin with me."
These opening lines of a song used in worship may be familiar to some - I even discovered when googling them that Harry Connick Junior has a version of the song on one of his Christmas albums. But I found myself praying these words fret attending a prayer meeting called to reflect upon the three years since the start of the war in Ukraine. It caused me to ponder - how might peace begin with me?
Living our faith in a world wracked with conflict is an ancient challenge. In his letter to the Romans (chapter 12, verse 18), the apostle Paul writes "If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." While this highlights my and our responsibility to strive for peace in all relationships, it doesn't underestimate the predicament that it might not always be or feel possible to do so. Thus, the task is an emboldening one - because of the acknowledgement that our obligation is to begin - and to persist.
So let us reflect the Peace that Christ embodies, imparted to us through the Holy Spirit, and trust that "the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7) will prevail.
Rachel Coward, United Reformed Church, Shrewsbury
