An Omen of Peace

Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey

This past Friday as I scoured the major news websites for interesting articles, I came across one that astonished me. For the first time in “a memory”, snow fell on the city of Bagdad. The article showed a father holding his child and they both had the most beautiful, carefree smiles on their faces. The first snowfall of the season does put a smile on most people’s faces. Can you imagine seeing it for the first time, especially as an adult?

The city of Bagdad may have sleet or a cold rain in the winter, but for at least six decades, there has not been snow. As you can imagine, the residents were delighted with such a gift and declared the snowfall an “omen of peace”, according to a Reuter’s source. To me, it represents purity and cleansing. When David prayed to God after committing adultery, he asked God to cleanse him making him whiter than snow.

Going with the thought provoking phrase “omen of peace”, there is so much war, violence, poverty, and prejudice in the world that we all need to strive to make a difference by searching for that “omen of peace”. If we all come together, we can make a difference one step at a time.

Here are some ideas on how you can begin your quest for peace:

· Write your congressmen about issues that you feel need to be addressed whether it is the war and unrest overseas, genocide in the Sudan, or aids prevention worldwide. The key is to bring awareness to the forefront.

· There are many needs here in our own community. Donate your time and talent to a charity by volunteering. There are many organizations that would welcome you as a helper of mankind.

· We are all God’s children. We are all brothers and sisters in his eyes. We are all different individuals with different views and different beliefs. We’ve got to start “getting along” by respecting each other. There is no other way. Stop the prejudice now!

James 3:18: Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.