In God Makes the Rivers to Flow; An Anthology of the World’s Sacred Poetry & Prose, Eknath Easwaran includes a selection from Saint Francis of Assisi entitled “The Prayer of Saint Francis.”  I’ve written the following poem-like reflections inspired by this selection.

Lord, Make Me an Instrument

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….

—Saint Francis of Assisi

There is hatred in this world, blacker than night,

hotter than fire,

may the flame of love burn hotter and brighter,

may it turn light into day.

How many of us nurse our injuries

and say, “Look at what he did to me,”

“Look at what she did to me”?

It is so easy to blame.

May we open our hearts to true healing.

May we say, “I forgive him. I forgive her.”

May we let the world back into our hearts.

It is easy to doubt that the universe has our backs.

It is easy to forget about divine order.

May we find our faith and share it.

So the world knows that beneath all negative appearances,

there is infinite love and perfect order.

So often we give up all as lost.

We look to the future with dread, devoid of hope.

May we open our hearts to the possibility

that it will get better.

May we encourage others to trust in a God who cares.

Sometimes the world seems so dark,

but scripture assures us we are the light of the world.

May we shine from the highest mountains.

May we rise up like the sun and sing God’s glory.

In the world, there will be sorrow.

It is inevitable.

May we take heart and see the underlying joy

that is our birthright, that is our true, essential nature.

We want people to give us a hug when we are hurting.

May we be the first to offer a shoulder to someone

who is suffering.

It’s normal to want people to understand our point of view.

May we listen to others share their perspective,

our minds open and receptive.

We want our friends and families to love us.

We want the adoration of the world.

May we be first to give of our love to others.

Giving is an act of self-interest,

for when we give, we get a feeling beyond compare.

We receive more than we have given,

for we reawaken the joy of our souls.

When we forgive others,

it is that much easier to forgive ourselves.

And people find it so much easier to forgive us,

if we forgive them first.

The goal is to put ourselves last,

even though that too is an act of self-interest.

The only path to true joy is to let the ego die,

to die to ourselves,

so that we shine with the light of God’s love,

and discover eternity in a breath.