Holiness in our midst – Session 35

Holiness in our Midst

SESSION XXXV: ON CHANGING THE WORLD

At the Des Moines (IA) Arts Festival last month, participants were given multiple opportunities to share their vision for a better world. They had opportunities to paint their own T-shirts; draw pictures of their dream businesses; and create their own sunshine by decorating a sun with paper plates, pipe cleaners and beads.

One visioning space captured my attention. Festival-goers were also granted space to answer: IF I COULD CHANGE THE WORLD…WHAT WOULD I DO? My initial responses were ideas like taking big money out of politics and melting all guns. But, as I have pondered the question further, my mind keeps going back to a broadcast of the “700 Club” sometime in the Eighties. A televangelist related a child’s simple prayer:

God, please make the bad people good; and please, make the good people nice. Amen.

My new recipe for world peace would be to make this prayer (sometimes referred to as “Little Rita’s Prayer”) a universal one. I would change the hearts of the persons who do evil, of course, but also encourage who already do good to be nice (read: kind, compassionate and less snarky) to and about those who don’t agree with them.

STORY CIRCLE QUESTION: If you could change the world, what would you do?

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

  1. Read the above reflection.
  2. Write a journal reflection on what you would do to change the world? What are the most pressing issues through your eyes?

FOR GROUP STUDY:

  1. Read aloud Session XXXV.
  2. Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Question.

Note: Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Brian Gumm at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com.