The Practice of Peace
On the day that we pause to celebrate the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King, I am especially committed to bringing more peace into the world. I've been focusing on the phrase "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."
It is such a simple phrase and seems pretty do-able on the surface. However, when faced with the execution of such a task, it becomes something much more daunting. Becoming peaceful within oneself is a big job…and remaining peaceful when others around you are not is even larger.
My daily conversations with others almost always drift into something involving unease. In addition, any engagement with social media is always not helpful. However, when I look at Dr. King, I remember that he too felt plenty of unease. In fact, that is probably a huge understatement of the emotions he felt. Yet, he found the strength of character to move towards peace.
Fear is everywhere this year and that fear does not pull me towards peace. Using the inspiration of Dr. King, I take my focus off the fear and place it on something larger and more powerful than myself. I return to the practices of meditation and prayer. The more I do this, the more naturally it will flow.
For today, I have included a special peace practice at the end of this post. It is a guided visualization that I have used to create more peace in my day. My hope is that you will use it as a blessing to move your heart towards a more peaceful place as well.
Today’s Prayer
From St. 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;
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.