Peace be with you - or not.

I am a member of the JustFaith group at the local Catholic church. We have been meeting for 5 weeks now. At the end of each session, we have a “sharing of peace”, which consists of shaking hands with or hugging each member of the group, and wishing them peace, typically, “peace be with you.”

I'm having a bit of a problem with that.

We have read of families living in poverty in Jonathan Kozol's book, “Amazing Grace.” We've had the director of a local homeless shelter come speak to us. We've seen a film on the poor and hungry of the world, including an entire village of people who live, literally, in a garbage dump, and who live on what they can salvage from the garbage.

What we have learned does not bring me peace. It disturbs me greatly. It makes me want to do something. And I want the rest of the group to be as disturbed by what we've learned as I have been. I don't want them to leave after each group meeting with a feeling of peace. I want them to burn with the determination to do something.

Now, I really don't know how the rest of the group is feeling at this point. Maybe they're all feeling pretty much as I do. We haven't discussed it – yet – so I just don't know. But I'm sure going to bring it up at our next meeting. Until then, I will pray that they – and you, dear reader – will feel the peace that comes from knowing that you are doing for others all that you can do. And I will pray that I, too, will someday know that peace.