Lectio
We are looking at an artifact that is 4,500 years old. Reflect on that for a moment.
It’s a small box featuring two elongated mosaic panels, arranged in horizontal registers. On the side labeled ‘war,’ chariots pulled by wild donkeys progress from left to right. Chariots accelerate until their hooves and wheels crush fallen bodies below. Above, helmeted soldiers march shoulder to shoulder, and naked captives are led toward a ruler. This ruler is notably larger than the others, with his head breaking through the decorative border.
Rotate the object and movement shifts. The side often called peace begins with men guiding bulls, sheep, and goats as they transport fish and other items to the banquet above. There, the ruler is seated among others as cups are lifted. At the border, a musician plays a bull-headed lyre next to a singer.
Meditatio
Bodies collapse beneath wheels on one side, while cups are lifted over a feast on the other.
How frequently do I find peace without recalling its true cost?
The two panels form a single object: a battlefield and a banquet, interconnected, with bodies beneath wheels and cups on a table. Peace has a cost. The peaceful side starts below the banquet, among people preparing for the feast. Beyond the feast, peace requires ongoing efforts to build, protect, repair, and pass it on. This work demands labour, courage, and sacrifice.
I often find peace in simple, familiar gifts like a meal, music, companionship, and rest. These everyday blessings often go unnoticed because their supporting efforts are invisible. The Standard highlights unseen work: figures bringing supplies, charging into battle, and resting beneath chariots, while cups are lifted high.
Accepting the cup with gratitude recognizes the hands that prepared the food and those receiving it.
Oratio
May I never take peace for granted, and may I always remember the courage, labor, and sacrifice that help sustain it.
Contemplatio
I stay with raised cups on one side and fallen bodies on the other, all contained within the same small object.
Actio
Today, I will acknowledge a simple gift of peace and thank someone whose work helps maintain it.
