Peace, Shalom, Salaam

So, at our church, this seems to be the year of peace...

At the beginning of summer, our children's Sunday School classes began making Peace Cranes - origami birds that we are hanging in our hallway. Apparently, there's a story behind this (http://www.sadako.org/sadakostory.htm). Over the past three months, the children (with some adult help) completed 1,004 cranes:
















Here's the first one Rachel (my 5-year-old) folded:















So - now our United Methodist Women are studying the book Shalom, Salaam, Peace which is about the three religions that come from Abraham...






So - what about peace? Elvis Costello asked:













(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
Elvis Costello
As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside,
There's one thing I wanna know:
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strongAnd who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?



So - it's the year of peace here... Can we all just get along? Dunno...

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