“At my ordination service, a pastor told me a story about a trip he took to Cuba in the years following the fall of the Soviet Union. It was a bad time for the country: food was scarce, oil and energy even more so, with rolling blackouts throughout the island. While visiting a camp there, however, he saw a hand-drawn sign, scrawled with the words, habrá tiempos mejores, pero este es nuestro tiempo. There will be better times, but this is our time. This simple sign was a declaration of resilience. Of Hope. Of communal rededication to the singular task of living to witness a better future.

“And it brings me great joy to welcome you here this morning for a similar purpose. To declare the hope rooted in our faith that peace might prevail on earth. Even as images of war plaster our newspapers and news feeds. Even when violence erupts in our own communities. Even when algorithms and talking heads attempt to drive wedges between us, we will still hold onto our hope that peace may prevail on earth. Our faith tells us that there will be better times. But also that this is our time. Our time to act, to engage with the world around us, to share God’s love through actions just like this.

“This public expression of our sincerely-held belief is made today, but with this pole it will linger for the countless people who will walk past it in the weeks, months, and years to come. So friends, as we enter this time of worship as we ask for God’s blessing, would you join me in prayer?”

“The United Nations established this annual event in 1981. This year’s theme is Invest in Peace — For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day. About that, the United Nations writes: ‘On 21 September, the world marks the International Day of Peace. Today, amidst staggering volatility, the search for peace feels overwhelming—but it has never been more urgent.’

“Peace is more than the absence of war; it is the foundation necessary to collectively tackle humanity’s challenges. It is the lived experience of safety, dignity, opportunities, and cooperation in our daily lives. Under the theme Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day, this year’s International Day of Peace honors the ‘everyday architects of peace’—people driving local action, laying the groundwork for stability, and building a lasting peace from the ground up.

“Remember, peace isn’t just built in conference rooms—it is shaped by everyone, everywhere, every day. Everyone, everywhere can do their part for peace. Take one small step for peace every day.

“With that, I invite Elizabeth to come forward—someone in our community who does that work every day in her own way. Elizabeth, thank you for your leadership, and especially for your work with the garden: a ministry that helps all of us grow peace together.”

“In Isaiah’s vision, people will realize the wrongness of war and violence so profoundly that they will convert their weapons into gardening tools. The Bible regularly connects peace and agricultural productivity, which makes sense—it’s hard to grow much if armies are trampling your plants. It’s also hard to be peaceful, within yourself or toward others, if your basic needs aren’t being met.

“Our food shelf garden is an act of peace because it both plays a small part in addressing the needs of our neighbors and also reminds everyone who passes of the needs in our community. It also gives peace and healing to the volunteers who work in it.

“On behalf of the garden volunteers, I’m glad to have this lovely peace pole nearby.”

“Gail and I wish we could be with you today as you dedicate this Peace Pole on the International Day of Peace. Although we are watching from a distance, our hearts remain very much with the people of the House of Hope.

“The years I was privileged to serve as your Transitional Senior Pastor came during a consequential time in the life of the Twin Cities and our nation—a time still marked by the trauma surrounding the death of George Floyd and by continuing questions about racial justice, immigration, violence, belonging, and the dignity of every human being.

“Through it all, I came to appreciate even more deeply the importance of the House of Hope—not simply as a beautiful church on Summit Avenue, but as a sanctuary in the fullest meaning of that word: a place of refuge, safety, healing, and hope.

“That is what Gail and I hope this Peace Pole will represent.

“Standing on the front lawn, visible to everyone who passes by, its words of peace and reconciliation are expressed in the diverse languages of the people who now call the Twin Cities home. May those words speak especially to people who have experienced violence, displacement, discrimination, fear, or trauma. May they say, quietly but unmistakably:

“You are welcome here. You are safe here. Your life has dignity. You belong.

“But a Peace Pole is more than a symbol. It is also a summons.

“Peace, in the biblical tradition, is more than the absence of conflict. Shalom is the presence of justice, wholeness, right relationship, and human flourishing. The prophet Isaiah imagined a day when swords would become plowshares. Jesus blessed the peacemakers. Their vision reminds us that peace is something we are called not only to pray for, but to practice.

“So may this Peace Pole become both a sign and a promise—a sign to this community of the generous welcome of the House of Hope, and a promise that this congregation will continue to stand with those who are vulnerable, work for justice and reconciliation, bridge the divisions among us, and seek the things that make for peace.

“Gail and I offer it with gratitude for our years among you, with abiding affection for this congregation, and with great hope for the ministry you will continue together.

“May all who pass this place know peace.

“May all who enter these doors find sanctuary.

“And may the House of Hope always be a house of hope—for everyone.

“May peace prevail on Earth.”