Living Unfiltered for God

Today, we are going to finish our discussion of St. Francis of Assisi's Peace Prayer. The last few posts have been spent looking at how it would look if we actually lived our lives they way he suggests in the first half of this prayer. What would it look like if we actually sowed things like love, pardon (forgiveness), faith, hope, light and joy into the world and the lives of those around us? We decided it would take looking like we're living life counter-culturally; living in a way that is not necessarily the norm for today's society. Today we will look at the second half of the prayer. To me, the unasked question that is begged is, " What are you seeking? " 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. As I read t...

Yesterday we started looking at the Peace Prayer of St. Francis and what it would look like if we really did try to live it out. So much of it involves almost living counter culturally. Paul urged us to, "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." ( Romans 12:2, NKJV )  Today, I'd like to look closely at the first two lines... where there is hatred, let me sow love; It doesn't take long to find hatred in today's world. So, in a strange way that's good news, because that means we can sow love anywhere - wherever we find ourselves - and it will positively impact our surroundings. What do you think that means, though, to 'sow love'? For me, it goes back to Jesus being asked which was the greatest commandment and stating that, after loving God, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves ( Matthew 22:34-40 ). Easier said than do...