Dare I tamper with The Prayer For Peace ..... well it hasn't worked since we still are seeking peace so I thought I would create my own version of the
Prayer of St. Francis which has been subtly modified over the years since he wrote it.
Prayer For Peace
Let me be an instrument of lasting peace:
where there is hatred I may bring love,
where there is insult I may bring pardon,...
where there is strife I may bring harmony,
where there is error I may bring truth,
where there is doubt I may bring faith,
where there is despair I may bring hope,
where there is darkness I may bring light,
where there is sorrow I may bring joy,
where there is pain I may bring relief.
Let me learn to comfort over being comforted;
let me learn to understand over being understood;
let me learn to love over being loved.
For it is by giving that one receives,
it is by self-forgetting that one rescues,
it is by forgiving that one restores,
it is by dying that one realizes life liberation.
(~Francis of Assisi~ year 2014)
(I was trying to embrace the essence of the positive merits of the thoughts without any religious appeals ... note the author as Francis of Assisi and not St. Francis of Assisi .... initially Francis of Assisi repudiated the Catholic church and its religious doctrines then the Catholic church thought they could use his popularity with the people and peasants to promote their religious organization's objectives.. In 2014 we are more aware of the divisiveness of religion rather than its mission to unify and bring together people of different beliefs. I happened to be born in an all protestant community then in college studied world religion and theology in philosophy courses. I believe the version I posted would be acceptable to atheists, agnostics, scientology, Christian Science followers, and that it would not offend others who belong to any of the established religions in the world today. It is spiritually good without being religious ..... and so has a wider audience that would accept it or something similar to it. One of the main things that defines a particular religion is what happens after death .... the last line of my version is a statement of truth that no one can deny and a definition of death that is acceptable without being conditional or perhaps imaginary belief promulgated by a particular religious doctrine is IMO desirable.)
