May 2013 The Road to Daybreak A Spiritual Journey by Henri J M Nouwen

Continue from ...... A Happy Reunion Tonight at 7pm Jonas arrived from Boston! A few weeks ago he called and said he would like to spend the last few days of my stay in Germany with me. I was overjoyed. Jonas was able to take a few days of vacation and had found a cheap flight to Europe. This morning he arrived in Brussels and came to Freiburg by train via Cologne. It continues to amaze me how small the world has become. Last night we were still thousands of miles away from each other. Tonight we had supper together, talked about a thousand things, and prayed together in the chapel. We are looking forward to a few peaceful days together. Letting Go of Divisions This morning Jonas and I read in the Gospel Jesus' words: "If you are bringing your gift to the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave you gift in front of the altar; go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift" (Mt. 5:23-24). These words have stayed with us for the whole day. I realize that there are still many people with whom I am not fully at peace. When I think back on the friendships, encounters, and confrontations of the past, I realize that islands of anger, bitterness, and resentment still lie hidden in my heart. And when I bring to mind all whom I personally know or about whom I have heard or read, I know how I divide them between those who are for me and those who are against me, those whom I like and those whom I do not like, those whom I want to be with and those whom I try to avoid at all costs. My inner life is so filled with opinions, judgements, and prejudices about my "brothers and sisters" that real peace is still far away. As I think about Jesus' words, I know that I must let go of all these divisive emotions and thoughts so that I can truly experience peace with all of God's people. This means an unrestrained willingness to forgive and let go of old fears, bitterness, resentment, anger, and lust, and thus find reconciliation. In this way, I can be a real peacemaker. My inner peace can be a source of peace for all I meet. I can then offer gifts on the altar of God as a testimony to this peace with my brothers and sisters. I have to start thinking about concrete ways to make peace with my brothers and sisters who have something against me. What do I have to lose? To make peace is to free myself from my easy judgements so that I can love my enemy and the God who holds me and my enemies together in the palm of his hand. Today I experience deep gratitude for the friendship between Jonas and me. It is the visible fruit of our peacemaking in November.

- To Be Continued - © Copyright Shalom 2013. All rights reserved.