Peace Circle Reflections
Editor’s Note: Jessica Hernandez, a new DC Service Corps volunteer shares a practice that deepens her interior peace and her connection to others.
The other night, as I was leading prayer with my community, I shared that it was probably my seventh time circling up that day. As I reflected on the day, I realized what a gift it was to pause, invite God into our circle, and reflect on the work of peace we are called to do.
As a peace coach with Little Friends for Peace (LFFP), circling up is something I have come to expect and look forward to. We literally form a circle, begin with a check-in, inviting everyone to share a little of themselves and gradually let their guard down. We create space for each person to feel comfortable connecting, contributing, and eventually celebrating one another. What may seem like a simple circle becomes an opportunity to practice being present.
At LFFP, no two days are ever the same. Even when our weeks follow a familiar routine, there is always something unexpected to learn. I am learning to welcome that mystery, thank God for it, and let things be. Some of my greatest lessons have come through conversations with others. To meet the moment is to meet people where they are, listen without rushing to respond, and recognize that I am not only there to teach, but also to learn.
I see this in the children we accompany, who are learning to practice empathy and care for others from an early age. I see it in the men at the Father McKenna Center, who remind me to give thanks to God simply for waking up each morning, even as many navigate health challenges and housing insecurity. I see it in the children from Uganda and South Sudan who connect through our virtual peace circles, discovering their shared humanity and seeking to understand one another across borders. Each encounter invites me to look beyond my own lived experience and recognize the person in front of me.
I am learning that practicing peace also requires tending to my own interior life. Through contemplation, walks in creation, stretching, journaling, and gratitude, I am finding ways to slow down and make room for reflection. I am learning to let go of the need to control how a moment unfolds to become more present and open to what each encounter might teach me.
Peace begins when we make room for one another. It grows through the small acts of listening, sharing, and caring that allow us to recognize our shared humanity. St. Thérèse of Lisieux tells me, “Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.” Perhaps the work of peace begins through accompaniment, in the little way, one circle, one conversation, and one small act of love at a time.
Question for Reflection: How are you being called to recognize the people in front of you?
Photos from Jessica’s ministry with Little Friends for Peace:
