In July, I wrote about a prayer from Francis of Assisi. When I came across this prayer, it convicted me right away, and I feel like it is a prayer I could pray every day and still continue to learn and grow as I ask God to help me walk it out. Last time I focused on the second half of the prayer. This time I want to take a close look at the first half. The entire prayer is listed below:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
When I talk to my friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and even my students, I see that there is no shortage of hatred, offense (injury), doubt, despair, darkness, and sadness. I love how Francis of Assisi asked God to help him sow love, forgiveness (pardon), faith, hope, light, and joy. These are not as easy to come across in my life. When I watch the news, watch YouTube, or look at social media, I find much more of the former and far less of the latter.
I have found that I am really good at replicating the negative I see around me. I am also quite talented at bringing that negativity with me and dumping it off on anyone who will listen. In fact, I do not think I need anyone’s help teaching me how to hate, offend, doubt, fear, or despair. Turns out I am a natural. While this may be the easy path, and the one I will turn to if I am not paying attention, it is NOT who I am. More importantly, that is not who God is. He is the opposite of all that negativity. I think the reason this prayer has impacted me so much is because I recognize God’s heart in it. Christ within me is longing for me to embrace the opposite of what I see in the world all around me.
The opportunity to sow love, forgiveness, faith, hope, light, and joy is plentiful. When we come into any situation or conversation, we have a chance to change things for the better by sowing love. I am challenged to purposefully look for where I can identify the negativity that is happening and then respond with the opposite. To speak in love at work when I see hatred and complaining; to forgive when offended on social media; to speak hope, truth and comfort to those I encounter who are doubting and are in despair; to bring light and joy where there is darkness and sadness. The opportunities for this are endless: at work, at school, at church, family conversations over dinner or in the car, in the grocery store, on the street corner. We live in a world that is defined by hatred, offense, doubt, despair, darkness, and sadness. God, please help me to sow love, forgiveness, faith, hope, light and joy. Open my eyes to those around me who are hurting and help me be a part of your plan of healing in this broken world. Make me an instrument of your peace.
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. - Galatians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17