In honor of St Francis of Assisi, here is a photo of our dog, Prince Harry of Pensacola. Photo by The Pensacola Hippie.
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.
~ Prayer attributed to St Francis of Assisi.
No one really knows who penned this prayer. But Christians everywhere agree that it is one of the most-loved and most-recited prayers. On the feast day of St Francis of Assisi, I think it is timely to post the prayer-- along with some thoughts on how the prayer can guide our lives during these strange times.
This weekend we heard news that our President has contacted COVID19, along with his wife and many staffers. We need to pray for him, just as we pray for all victims of this pandemic.
For some of us, this is a difficult task. For almost four years, many of us have watched this individual attempt to tear down everything we hold sacred as free people. While some Americans still believe that this person is a good man and a faithful leader-- a growing number of us are seeing his actions as motivated by something other than love for people.
I admit it, I don't like him-- from his days as a reality show boss I remember nothing but cruelty and filth spilling from his lips.
After months of pooh-poohing the reality of this pandemic, we see that this President is ill with COVID. As Christ-followers, what is the appropriate response to this news?
Simple, we are to pray for him.
Prayer is not a " stamp of approval", as a former priest of mine stated on the Sunday immediately following the 2016 election. We pray for the leaders of our nation-- regardless of political differences. We don't swear loyalty to a party-- as Christians we swear loyalty to God--- Earth Maker, Pain-Bearer and Life Sustainer. Christians are called to pray for the world and its leaders.
Paul's letter to the Romans , Chapter 12 has some sound advice that modern disciples , like me, can find helpful. After all, political strife is not a 21st-century problem. Let's look at what St Paul has t say:
" Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,[g] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.[h] Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[i] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Whoa, that is a high order for us. " Bless those who persecute you... live in harmony with one another... repay no one evil for evil.
This list, titled in some translations of Scripture as " Marks of a True Christian. God is NOT partisan. God is God regardless of a person's thoughts, words , or even actions. We cannot control others' behavior, but we Christ-followers can choose to respond { not react} in LOVE.
As a child and teen, I was bullied incessantly. One girl, lets call her Matilda" was especially cruel to me in middle and high school. I tried to stay out of her line of fire, but she still used the power of gossip to hurt me. Years later, I find out that this person's life { due to some choices she made} has not been easy. I forgave her, and I pray for her, regardless of her actions towards me. Have I let her back into my life. Oh hell no--- I am not stupid! But I pray for her to continue to stay well. I still don't like this person, but he is deserving of God's grace.
As a friend says : acting in Christian love towards people does not always mean feel " warm and fuzzy" towards them. Praying for someone's health is not nodding in agreement with their behavior.
I cannot pretend to like this President-- even if he does have COVID. To me, his illness is no excuse to excuse his behavior towards Black and Brown people , women, LGBTQ persons and others. However, in our Church Rites, there are places built for intercessory prayer. I don't like this President, but I love my siblings-in-humanity. Every weekday during Evening prayer { online} people sick with COVID and those who have died from it are mentioned in prayer.
Prayer is not the sole property of any nation, race , orientation OR political ideology
We pray. And let God sort out the mess.
Amen.
Sarah McCarren
Feast Of St Francis of Assisi 2020
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