The Medicine of Peace

Sacred Song 29:11

“Grandfather gives strength and well-being to his people. He blesses them with peace and harmony” – Psalm 29:11, FNV

At sunrise on the Indian reservation, the land is tranquil, and you can feel the earth’s presence unbroken by human busyness. A bountiful peace rests on the land before any words interrupt the day and before any movement begins. This kind of peace that the land offers is not manufactured; it is received. Peace received is one of our Creator’s promises, blessing both the land and the people who walk on it.

Peace is tied to well-being. The sacred song points us to the blessing of our Creator, who shows us that peace offers completeness to life. Well-being is the fruit of peace. In a Western worldview, completeness or wholeness is understood through the balance of mind, body, and spirit. In Indigenous ways of knowing, completeness is understood through the balance of mind, body, spirit, and community. Community is inseparable from that circle. Completeness cannot exist apart from the relationships that bind us together with Creator, with one another, and with the land. Peace nourishes this way of life, blessing every part of who we are and every connection we share as people.

Though peace is a promise from our Creator, it must also be lived out. Each choice toward gentleness, kindness, grace, or listening makes peace visible in our lives and strengthens our bonds as good relatives with Creator, with one another, and with the land. Ultimately, the blessing of our Creator is revealed when peace is received and peace is shared.

Beauty and promise rest on creation at sunrise, and that same gift is offered to us, inviting a life of wholeness with Creator, with one another, and with all creation. May peace dwell within you, flow through your relationships, and become the song that lives in your spirit, offering life and joy wherever you go.

Medicine for the Day

I receive the medicine of peace. Peace is my portion, and I walk in its promise!

About the Author

Tamara F. Ravelo’s home is the Quechan Indigenous Nation (pronounced Kwuh-tsan), where she proudly represents her Indigenous culture. She is a NAIITS PhD student and has an MBA, an MDiv from Yale, and a degree in congregational ministry from Andover-Newton Theological Seminary. She is the first Indigenous woman to be ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church. Tamara, a Medicine Woman, loves prayer and creating spaces for others to heal. She doesn’t do it alone; she is wonderfully loved and supported by her husband, Michael Ravelo, esq. Learn more about Tamara’s work at www.sanctuaryforhersoul.org.