Monday, September 18, 2006
Nan Merrill's "Peace Planet"
Nan Merrill, who for so many years has created and then distributed the wonderful newsletter called "Friends of Silence," has now (along with Barbara Taylor) published another book, a lovely small volume dedicated to world peace. Each page is dedicated to a different country, and together they form an atlas of our planet. Every single country is included. Each entry is accompanied by an arresting photograph of some relevant image of the country, or else something which seems to typify its spirit, plus a brief prayer.
Friends of Silence began in 1987 as "an urban contemplative group in Detroit that now has grown from forty individuals to an international community at large of over 6,000 silent pray-ers."
In her introduction, Nan explains that this work is her own response to the events of 9/11. She says, in words that ring with convincing truth:
Prayer can and must become the undergirding, the foundation, the infrastructure, the power force of peace. . . .
Clearly prayers for peace must begin individually with commitment, clarity, and deep compassion for matters of the heart. The world sorely needs our peace-focused prayers blanketing the nations on behalf of all living beings everywhere. The good news is that the cumulative effectiveness of prayer multiplies. If two people pray with focus and feelling, the effect is of four people. A single candle in the darkness dispels the night.
To become one with our prayers, our entire being must become action--body, mind and soul. The quality and effectivenessof our prayer is greatly enhanced by envisioning peace in our mind, choosing peace with all our heart, and in being peace in our lives.
Thank you, Nan, for this beautiful and moving gift, a clear token of all you stand for and a marker pointing the way for us to bring peace itself into our lives and into the world.
All the proceeds of this lovely and well crafted volume will be donated to groups working for peace. I urge you to obtain one: you will find it a lovely gift for yourself and for others. To order, send $15.00 (includes shipping/handling) to:
FOS Peace and Prayer Gift Shop
200 Rock Street
Hannibal, MO 63401
And if you want to receive the free newsletter, send your name and address to
Friends of Silence
11 Cardiff Lane
Hannibal, MO 63401
For me, it is people like Nan, working quietly but with great dedication for the welfare of us all, who provide inspiration and conviction that ours is indeed a world replete with goodness and love.
Friends of Silence began in 1987 as "an urban contemplative group in Detroit that now has grown from forty individuals to an international community at large of over 6,000 silent pray-ers."
In her introduction, Nan explains that this work is her own response to the events of 9/11. She says, in words that ring with convincing truth:
Prayer can and must become the undergirding, the foundation, the infrastructure, the power force of peace. . . .
Clearly prayers for peace must begin individually with commitment, clarity, and deep compassion for matters of the heart. The world sorely needs our peace-focused prayers blanketing the nations on behalf of all living beings everywhere. The good news is that the cumulative effectiveness of prayer multiplies. If two people pray with focus and feelling, the effect is of four people. A single candle in the darkness dispels the night.
To become one with our prayers, our entire being must become action--body, mind and soul. The quality and effectivenessof our prayer is greatly enhanced by envisioning peace in our mind, choosing peace with all our heart, and in being peace in our lives.
Thank you, Nan, for this beautiful and moving gift, a clear token of all you stand for and a marker pointing the way for us to bring peace itself into our lives and into the world.
All the proceeds of this lovely and well crafted volume will be donated to groups working for peace. I urge you to obtain one: you will find it a lovely gift for yourself and for others. To order, send $15.00 (includes shipping/handling) to:
FOS Peace and Prayer Gift Shop
200 Rock Street
Hannibal, MO 63401
And if you want to receive the free newsletter, send your name and address to
Friends of Silence
11 Cardiff Lane
Hannibal, MO 63401
For me, it is people like Nan, working quietly but with great dedication for the welfare of us all, who provide inspiration and conviction that ours is indeed a world replete with goodness and love.
