[Jesus said,] “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” – John 14:27

The world gave to you the way it gives, Lord:
Resentment, suspicion, condemnation, violence.
At the table you offered your peace to your friends.
In the garden, at the cross, peace fell away.

I pray, give to me as you give, not the world.
The world still loves to condemn and coerce.
In your peace I just might be able to stand,
my spirit unbowed by all evil’s power.

A poem/prayer based on John 14:23-29, the Revised Common Lectionary Gospel Reading for Year C, Sixth Sunday of Easter.

The image is The Last Supper by Jacopo Tintoretto (between 1579 and 1581) – Web Gallery of Art:   Image  Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15542032.

Tintoretto painted more than one Last Supper. The chaotic atmosphere of this image drew me in, even as I was writing about peace, because peace in the chaos is our great challenge.