Passing the Peace - June 26, 2025

Dear Beloved Passing the Peace Readers, 

These past few weeks have been a time of deep grief after my friend Sóley and her dog Loki were killed in a car accident. As I near my 35th birthday next week, I’m aware that this is a privilege she will never have. 

I met Sóley while attending an event that was part of my Continuing Education - an intentional community of people dedicated to sharing skills so that we could work together to build a world more connected to the earth and much more resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis. I learned how to bake sourdough bread and it has since become a dear spiritual practice of mine. I’m grateful whenever I can break bread with people knowing the whole story of how it was made. 

Last week, the community held a gathering to say goodbye to Sóley and I was invited to lead this time of ceremony. It was not a Christian funeral but I still feel as though it was a form of ministry. I felt a deep sense of trust and honour to have been invited into this role of spiritual care for a community with many beliefs and a friend whose spirituality was so deeply based on caring for Creation. I share this with you because I want you to know that in supporting my ministry and my continuing education, you have empowered me to offer support to an entire web of people who are deeply grieving this very unexpected and untimely death. 

I often hear stories from people, who are not connected to church, about how alienated or uncomfortable they have felt while attending a funeral. For many people, funerals are one of the few times they walk into a church or interact with a minister. I believe these are important spaces to be able to offer Christ’s compassionate love and support in ways that are healing and meaningful. Thank you to each person who has taken a moment to express their condolences and support during this time.

My heart is broken but most certainly broken open to all of the love Sóley offered the world with some much vibrancy and tenacity.  

May the peace of Christ be with you, 

Rev Michiko