A Simple Prayer That Can Save the World
When I began reading The
Book of the Shepherd: The Story of One Simple Prayer, and
How It Changed the World, I immediately knew where
the story was going, and I knew there would be no twists or
surprise endings. Normally, I would say, "Oh, no a contrived
plot that a good fifth-grader could figure out." But the idea
of the story, that sometimes we search the world over looking
for the answer to our problem—whether it be love, security,
acceptance or any number of other problems we face in life—only
to find the solution to our problem was right at home or in
our hearts.
When David is beaten by his father and the town people don't
intervene but shout encouragment to the sadistic father, it
occurred to me that maybe that is the reason we have so many
kids going astray. Don't say, "Oh, that's not typical behavior."
In many cases it is typical behavior, and then we
expect such boys to grow up and provide love and understanding
to their families. Such behavior has to be taught and a good
place to start is with love and understanding.
For such a journey we must have other people to push the
story along and highlight other aspects of the new way (which
is not a new way but the right way not being followed). The
three travelers meet a cast of charcters who do indeed exhibit
characteristics of the new way. These characters include the
Storytller, the Apothecary, the Blind Man and the Alchemist.
Each of these people tell a story that intensifies the need
to find the new way.
When Joshua must find out if he can bring forth secrets long
buried, he, Elizabeth and David find that their great search
was over nothing more than what was already inside of them.
This is a common theme in literature and one that we must
be reminded of again and again lest we forget the lesson and
its signifiance.
The prayer is so simple, but it carries so much truth and
potential that we should pray the prayer each day. Think of
the effect the application of this prayer would have on ordinary
people, communities, states and nations. Pray this prayer
now:
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, let me sow pardon
Where there is doubt, let me sow faith
Where there is despair, let me sow hope
Where there is sadness, let me sow joy
Where there is darkness, let me sow light
For it is in giving that we receive
It is pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life
For this is the Law of Substitution |