The Fabric of Peace, written September 11, 2015

Today we remember 14 years ago
and Peace’s fabric ripped into shreds;
Innocent lives gone in an instant, or longer;
Brave lives given that others might live, in defiance
of the incomprehensible will of the life-takers.
Survivors struggling for how to move on,
struggling for proper response that does not come;
Yet in shock, pain and anger, needing to respond
to show the world, this can't be the way.
Retaliation, reconciliation, restoration?
How best to repair the fragile fabric of peace,
how best to spark a tiny glimmer of hope
enough to move into tomorrow?

And now, today is that tomorrow,
and we ponder. Terror was no stranger that day.
Terror has had strong toeholds in the past
throughout history, around the world,
with loss so great that only God can know.

In 14 years, terror seems only grown bolder,
each day bringing new devastation
at the hands of leaders and loners.
And so, we move into each tomorrow
still incomprehensible of the will for life-taking,
still knowing that even as we bow in prayer for peace,
terror somewhere is scheming its next strike. 

This day, in terror’s wake and path we see
humanity bundling the children, fleeing in fear,
not knowing what to do, but needing to do.
Risking it all, desperate to live,
desperate for a future,
desperate for the children,
desperate to find a tiny hold of hope somewhere.
This humanity, our brothers and sisters
know what it is like to search the faces
of those who look their way;
to search the hearts of those who look the other way,
to the pleas of, "Can you help?"

Perhaps today somewhere in the world,
one person here, another there,
even the masses and the loners
will share a glimmer of Hope where they live;
will loosen the bindings on their hearts of Love--
these great anchor cords of Peace.

And just perhaps, that fabric of Peace,
though patched so often and strained so thin,
will miraculously reach as we offer it out,
will miraculously hold to lift us all
As together we see Peace finding its way
to conquer the world.

by Deborah A. Phelps, Senior Pastor, DisciplesNet Church