Becoming an Instument of Peace

I’m in the final week of producing the April 1, 2010, issue of my church’s newsletter (The PCC Scroll). I would be happy to add any interested parties to the distribution list!

For my Editor’s Corner article, which I will post on my blog soon, I start with a reference to the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi.

“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;
and 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;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen”

I wrote about his prayer and how Christ came and died so we could be light in darkness, hope in the midst of despair, joy where there is sadness, etc.

To put it mildly, I had a challenging week. I kept talking to myself and wondering what on earth was going on with me. I just wasn’t feeling well. I did manage to drag myself to work four out of the five days.

My coworkers commented how they missed my smile and my laugh and my positive energy this week. It was very humbling. I realized that my reason for being in this world is to become all the things Saint Francis wrote about.

I realized if I truly wanted to be joy where there was sadness, pardon where there was injury, hope where there despair, etc. then I would have to press through and around whatever is happening in my life.

Let me tell you it’s hard. It’s so much easier to ride on an emotional roller coaster or submit to not feeling well. It’s hard to stand up and fight and proclaim I will be an instrument of peace and soldier for the Kingdom of Heaven.

I’m not sure why I thought it would be easy. LOL. I will say that I will not roll over and play dead. I must press on toward my goals.

Interestingly enough, I realized this week that I am part of the problem. I realized that I take part in conversations that are not edifying. What good is it to complain, murmur, and grumble about what is or not going on? What good is it to let what is happening around me impact my emotions? It doesn’t do any good. It only causes me frustration and causes my emotions to get all riled up. Yes, I am part of the problem. In some ways, that’s okay. Since I am part of the problem, I can become the solution.

Light looked down and beheld darkness.
'Thither will I go,' said Light.
Peace looked down and beheld war.
'Thither will I go,' said Peace.
Love looked down and beheld hate.
'Thither will I go,' said Love.
So Light came, and shone.
So Peace came, and gave rest.
So Love came, and gave light.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

So, no. I don’t expect this road to be easy. I do expect that the grace and mercy of God will help me along the path.

This is great timing. As we enter Holy Week, it makes the sacrifice Christ made even more tangible. Christ died to give me life. So, now I die to become more like Him and live.