by Mica Togami
Frederick Buechner reminds us that in the gospels, there are two radically contradictory utterances made by Jesus regarding peace. On one occasion, he says to his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth: I have not come to bring peace but a sword.” (Mathew 10:24) And in John 14:27, in his final moments with his disciples, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Buechner concludes “the contradiction is resolved when you realize that , for Jesus, peace seems to have meant, not an absence of struggle, but the presence of love.”*
As a hospital chaplain, i have been graced to experience the gift of this peace: I have the great privilege to work with an 86 year old nun, who has dedicated her life in service to God. Sr. Carmen Figueroa is a Sister of Christian Charities. She was born and raised in Mexico being called to religious life at the age of nineteen. Throughout her life, Sr. Carmen has provided ministry in Oaxaca, Mexico, and countries such as Guatemala and Colombia, working in schools and communities bringing health services for those in need. Nineteen years ago, we met and I learned about her desire to provide ministry to our staff and the Roman Catholic patients.
Every week, Sr. Carmen has come to our hospital to serve communion to our staff and patients. She embodies peace, as she listens to the pain and suffering of our patients, staff, and physicians. Her kind demeanor and joyous laughter makes her someone who is immediately recognized across the campus. Sr. Carmen’s favorite phrase is, “I keep on dancing, let’s keep on dancing.” Her dancing manifests in her quick strides through our hospital hallways and buildings, outpacing our staff as she communicates love and peace with every step. Sr. Carmen reflects the peace that Buechner talks about, bringing the presence of love, in the midst of the circumstances and struggles that are experienced by our staff and our patients.
Martin Luther King says, “true peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” In this Advent, may we live out this Peace that is manifested in our love for ourselves, each other, and that embraces our humanity.
*Buechner, F. (1993). Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC . HarperCollins.
Mica serves as the Manager of Spiritual Care and Volunteer Services at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California. She was endorsed by the Alliance of Baptists in 2004 and serves as an Alliance of Baptists Board Member. Mica holds a Bachelor of science and a Master of Science in Education from Baylor University and a Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
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