Signs Along the Way… Paper Cranes and Peace

By Bill Petersen

In our world of 2007 with conflict around the globe from Afghanistan, Darfur and Iraq to Palestine, one often wonders if there ever will be peace. As people of faith, we pray that some day peace will be a reality in our world. We know that our gracious God is present and has not given up on us individually or on the earthly kingdom. When we do catch a glimmer of hope or experience a moment of grace, we know that the spirit of peace is alive and need only to turn to God’s Word for a vision of peace that can not be ignored.

During Lent this year, the confirmation class at Messiah Lutheran Church, Amherst, N.H., focused on the need to repent, or turn around from a world filled with brokenness and violence in preparation for Christ’s rising to make all things new. The 12 students individually created three to four paper cranes per day, representing a prayer for peace that became a communal prayer as the cranes were strung together.

Students were reminded that folding a paper crane is literally like making peace. Initially, the steps are awkward and it seems like an impossible task. As they learned how to fold, they learned that there are different ways of folding a crane, so listening, learning, patience and collaboration are helpful to create an end result that no matter how big or small is a thing of beauty.

At Messiah, our peace cranes provided an artistic offering of beauty, wonder and Easter awe for our community of faith. The project is titled Ruah (Hebrew for Spirit, Wind, Breath), which is the power of God which brings creative life out of chaos, liberates people from slavery, inspires prophets and calls for change and renewal. These cranes reflect our prayers and hopes for peace around the globe, knowing that our God is present and has not given up on us or on the world. When we catch a glimmer of hope in the movement of the cranes or experience moments of grace, we know that the spirit of peace and life (Ruah) is alive.

Bill Petersen is a seminarian at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and a member of Messiah, Amherst, N.H., where he co-teaches seventh and eighth grade Confirmation with Karla Seckinger.