Day Forty Two - Peace in the valley

Sheffield was the venue for the second World Peace Congress in 1950. The artist Picasso attended arriving at Sheffield Midland Railway station carrying a bouquet of chrysanthemums and wearing an old raincoat and blue beret. Apparently, he sat down in Thorpe’s cafe and drew a dove of peace on a napkin. This moment has been captured in more recent years by local artist Pete Mckee. Picasso gave a short speech to the radical left-leaning crowd saying; ‘I stand for life against death, I stand for peace against war’. He may have given away four more doves during his visit to the city including one at Butler’s Dining Rooms. If you look along the rooftops of the buildings around the Peace Gardens you can see some steel doves created by Richard Bartle above where Butler’s Dining Rooms used to be. The actor Brian Blessed claimed he was handed one but threw it away because it looked nothing like a dove.

We tend to think of peace as a private state of calm but what if peace is something to be shared. Other Christian traditions talk of sharing the peace and Jesus gave his peace away; ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’.

If you have a vision for peace as Picasso did how can you share that? If you feel or experience peace how can you invite others into that? It doesn’t have to begin big - it could be a dove on a napkin or praying a blessing down the telephone. Some people may disregard it but do it anyway.

Much as I love art, I am not the best artist and it would take a whole flock of napkin doves to fly out to everyone who reads this. Instead my act of peace is to share this music track with you. I hope you feel encouraged emboldened by it.

You are welcome. Find a way to share peace today.

Suzanne Nockels