Grace and peace

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:3

     Penned in the first century, Philippians is timeless and one of the most cherished books in the entire Bible. Every word offers readers spiritual blessing and practical encouragement.

     The author is the apostle Paul. Unjustly imprisoned, facing an uncertain future, Paul is an optimistic prisoner. Rather than languish behind bars, he has chosen to write to the church in Philippi. The mood of his letter is joyous in the midst of his suffering. Paul begins this letter wishing his dear friends, "grace and peace."

     What does this have to do with your situation in Zimbabwe? Several things, actually. First of all, believe in miracles. Paul wrote as a transformed individual. Years previously, Paul had once hunted down Jewish Christians without mercy, having them imprisoned, cheering their brutal deaths.

     God personally intervened through a dramatic conversion experience as Paul traveled the Damascus road. The radiant love of the risen Christ miraculously transformed Paul from a lifestyle of religious violence and hatred, to one of grace and peace.

     Just as God transformed Paul's heart from hatred to love, God can transform cruel hearts in Zimbabwe. So pray for those you encounter who hate, commit acts of brutality, and who destroy life.

     Secondly, with Zimbabwe's history of violence, torture, and post traumatic stress disorders, many citizens may be suffering from nightmares and anxiety, as well as flashbacks to their experiences with pain and fear.

     If this is your experience, consider using the words, "grace and peace," as a healing mantra through breath prayers. Consciously breathe a little deeper and slower, inhaling God's grace and peace as deeply as possible. Hold those healing thoughts for a moment, before slowly exhaling whatever is not graceful or peaceful within you. Let that be your prayer throughout the day and as you drift off to sleep at night.

     Finally, pray for those in Zimbabwean prisons, who are imprisoned unjustly. Pray for their captors who might be preventing prisoners from receiving medical care, food and water. Pray for their jailers, for God to miraculously move them to moments of mercy and kindness towards their prisoners.

     And may God's grace and peace be yours today with every breath.

     Prayer: I pray for divine grace and peace, O God, for Zimbabwe. May those who hate and hurt others be transformed, to show kindness and mercy instead. Be especially close, O Spirit of Christ, to those suffering in prisons. Amen.

Written by Rev. Dr. Sandy Bochonok
http://soulfoodministry.org
September 30, 2002
Permission is given to freely distribute this reflection throughout Zimbabwe.