the world smiling.  Now smile at the next person you see and feel the warmth of getting a smile back.  Then, push up your sleeves and start to work for peace.  The church, at its best, is a force for peace in the world.  A peace like Jesus promised: PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING.  In a world of differences, we come to church to be reconciled by God to each other.  If we can love the hurt parts of ourselves, we can begin to forgive, accept and love others.   To God, there are no outcasts.  If you take the first step, we can grow, and do all we can for peace… together.
In Sunday services, we shake hands and “pass the peace” with our neighbors.  When the service ends, it’s time to pass peace throughout the world.  Volunteering in a hospital or battered women’s shelter can be a way to help in your community.  The Episcopal Church also has many networks for getting involved in peacemaking internationally – through welcoming refugees into our communities, sending aid abroad, and sending messages to the world that peace is blessed.