Beatitudes of Peace: A Poem by Ann King

One lit purple candle
Close up of a purple votive candle with a blurred reflection in the background. Image licensed from Envato Elements.

This poem was written by Ann King for the Second Sunday of Advent 2023.

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Beatitudes of Peace

Blessed are you who dream of peace.
Dreaming is the first step,
for the seeds of all good things come from dreams.
Send us your visions—
hands reaching out, planting seeds,
holding lives gently all over the world—
so that we may learn how to make them true.
May you have strong dreams,
inaccessible to everyday eyes.
Blessed are you.

Blessed are you who nurture peace,
who tend the gardens where peace grows.
Show us how to resist the satisfaction of a quick retort,
to wait patiently for the slow car to turn the corner,
talk to teenagers in the park,
reach out to lonely people, and
speak calmly about the candidates.
We need you to grow peace all around us.
Blessed are you.

Blessed are you who are drummers of peace,
who call the world to its service,
and fight the thorns that could smother it.
When you march on the bridge on Wednesdays with signs,
visit senators and urge them to action,
paint peace murals on walls,
sing gentle songs of love for all people,
you make a welcoming place for peace to blossom.
Blessed are you.

Friends, let us be among the blessed—
makers and tenders of peace
in our own hearts and our own neighborhoods.

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