Peace is the air we breathe
Matthew 25: 1-13 New Ark United Church of Christ, Newark, DE December 7, 2025 Photo of a small shallow bowl-shaped oil lamp with a wick resting in the pouring spout. The lamp is lit in a dark space, with a red powder scattered on the surface. Do you ever catch yourself not breathing, holding your breath? Then you let out your breath, exhale in one big whoosh, make some noise when you do it? Have you ever been in a room when someone else has done that? It can sound like we, like they are frustrated or bored or angry or preoccupied. Like maybe we, or they, are trying to attract someone’s attention. Ask us what’s going on. How are we doing. Are we okay. The Hebrew word for breath, for wind, and for spirit is the same word: rûach . It’s the same word used in the creation of the earth, the Spirit of God moving over the face of the waters, and the breath of God giving life to the first human being. Breathing is something we take for granted, mostly because it happens witho...
