Pastor’s Corner – January 18, 2026
Come and See – John 1:29-42
I’ve been following the journey of about two dozen Buddhist monks on their Walk for Peace; 2,300 miles from Fort Worth to Washington DC, their final destination, which will take about 120 days. It all started with a few curious people standing along the street to watch them walk by with their dog Aloka. Then the momentum grew each passing day, hundreds and even thousands to support their peace walk by joining them along the way. As the monks pass through towns and cities, they are greeted with flowers as gifts of peace, some standing in tears and deeply moved by their presence. One observer describes the experience in this way: “The deepest kind of peace doesn’t need words. When monks walk step by step in silence — bodies purified through discipline, minds steady in mindfulness, hearts gentle with compassion — the divine presence of peace moves freely through them. They don’t preach. They don’t persuade. People simply feel it. Strangers soften in their quiet presence without knowing why. Old anger eases. A little heaviness lifts from the air. As the monks continue their slow, intentional journey for world peace, the boundaries of division and doctrine begin to fade — and the deepest truth within every heart remembers what true peace feels like. This is how they offer love and peace to the world, one mindful step at a time.”
What it also tells me is that there is a deep hunger for peace; peace within and peace in our world. I bet when Jesus walked from Galilee to Jerusalem through towns and villages with the heart of compassion and with the message of God’s kin-dom, people also felt this deep hunger for peace. Yes the world is a mess and has affected our lives with unimaginable insecurity, fear, anxiety and uncertainty.
Come Sunday we hear Jesus calling his first disciples, Andrew and Peter. Jesus asked them what they were looking for, inviting them to journey with him, “come and see.” Within the landscape of our lectionary that tells the story of Jesus, we are invited to walk with him and share in his ministry. Along the way we too will see and experience as the first disciples did, the peace of Christ in our hearts and remember who we are as God’s beloved. Amen.
Pastor Dae