Constant and Consistent Love
Tom Mountenay of Independence, MO, USA
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 again to eternal life. -St. Francis Prayer
According to communication theory, a person moving toward another person communicates a positive value. It could possibly be curiosity or concern. Conversely, when we move away from a person, we communicate a negative value, possibly disinterest or dislike.
Recently, I have been asking myself, “How am I being with others?” I want to be an instrument for peace, a living sanctuary, for people in need of justice and peace. In my moments of self-examination, I realize satisfaction when I have been attentive, alarm when callous. It dawned on me a few weeks ago, when in conversation with other evangelists, that an instrument of peace exists for a specific purpose.
In my reflections, I asked myself, “Where does an instrument of peace belong?” For me, all good answers take me into uncomfortable places. Places I must go-places where I am to be an instrument of peace and sanctuary.
I always found it amusing when God told Moses (paraphrased), “I have seen the misery of my people. I have heard their cries, and I have felt their suffering. I am going to come down to rescue them.” And then God sends Moses to free the people from Pharaoh and to lead them into a land flowing with milk and honey. At last, God sends Jesus (God’s self) down to free all of us.
God always moves in a constant and consistent direction-toward the creation God loves. God is not passive. God is deliberate. God, always on the move, always moving towards us, is communicating love for us. How do we communicate love for one another?
Prayer Phrase
I surrender into your love, O God.
Spiritual Practice
Surrender
What might it look like to surrender a little to God each day? A simple prayer of surrender can help us become aware of God’s consistent invitations to deeper relationship and awareness. Imagine when you encounter a challenging person or situation silently uttering this prayer, “I surrender into your love, O God.” The same prayer can be meaningful in moments of joy and gratitude as a way of returning to the awareness of oneness with God. It’s ok if we don’t surrender everything all at once all the time. The prayer of surrender is a constant practice of returning little by little to the deepest love that is the ground of our being and desires wholeness and oneness for us and all creation.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
