To be eirenic is to be aimed at peace, oriented toward reconciliation. As a centering prayer I have adopted the prayer attributed to St. Frances, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. So, that is why I call my website Eirenicole – a composite of eirenic and my name, Nicole.
For Lent, we are using the book, The Art of Lent: A Painting a Day From Ash Wednesday to Easter, by Sister Wendy Beckett. This week, the theme is peace. Our meditation is entitled, “Choosing Peace,” and the focus of our attention will be on the painting, Interior, 1908, by Vilhelm Hammershoi. The image is included in the post for this podcast, and accompanies the places where this is posted. If you do not have access to the photo, but do have access to internet, you can google “Interior, 1908, by Vilhelm Hammershoi.”
So as you settle in your space, pay attention to your breathing.
Notice the coolness of your breath as you inhale
Release the anxieties you are experiencing on the exhalation
Breathe in the ruah, the spirit that is the same spirit in us all
Breathe out concerns the virus visits on us all
Breathe in the clarity of God’s presence in this space, now
Breathe out lingering fears and confusion.
Settle into the peace of Christ as you listen. Hear the mediation and notice what the spirit of God draws your attention to in this painting. What is Jesus speaking to you here, now?
“An acceptance of the vulnerability on which peace is based….”
Though we may all feel imprisoned right now, there are many kinds of doors open to us. The Light that shines on this woman and her space, is the same Light that shines on us all. We share in it. And we choose whether we make our space a place of peace.
Will you choose peace with me today?
How is Jesus bringing you peace in this moment?
May the peace of Christ be with you, and today, may you walk at the pace of grace.
