Resolutions and resolve. Hopes and dreams. Plans and aspirations. Virtues to begin anew. Habits to break once again. A glance back at the past year in order to steady our projections into the next.

Beyond the champagne toasts and well wishes of strangers. Beyond the fireworks in the sky and the banging of pans in the streets and the firing of shotgun rounds into the darkness—there is a world waiting to be reborn. A world desperate for peace.

It is a peace we do not remember because it is of so long, long ago. A peace of once upon a time. . . a peace of Auld Lang Syne. Yet, it is a peace we know enough to sing for, to hope for, to pray for.

Tomorrow will be enough to resolve and tomorrow will bring my own resolutions. But tonight, in the stillness of this last night of the year, I offer this prayer. May we know peace, not just sing for it, next year.

Creator, open our hearts
to peace and healing between all people.

Creator, open our hearts
to provide and protect for all children of the earth.

Creator, open our hearts
to respect for the earth, and all the gifts of the earth.

Creator, open our hearts
to end exclusion, violence, and fear among all.

Thank-you for the gifts of this day and every day.

–native american - micmac - alycia longriver – 1995

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 31st, 2006 at 10:59 pm and is filed under Sunday Sermon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.