Make me a channel of your peace is the first line of a famous prayer. I would like to share a few simple thoughts on it:
Each one of us is confronted with choices everyday—to be contributors to peace or let go of opportunities to make peace. It is easy to think, “Why should I bother?” But remember Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”1 So make an active effort to create peace and be a channel of peace wherever you get a chance.
Again, in contrast to this, many people take away from the possibility of creating peace by mocking others, slandering them, and spreading gossip. Such people never think of the pain of being the cruel victim of jokes and stories which have no basis on facts or truth. What if you heard someone telling false tales about to another and having a wicked laugh about it? Refraining from being a listener to taleberaers will itself make you a channel of peace.
Finally, it is easy to break relationships. One word from you can break years of friendship. On the other hand your words to promote peace and understanding can save families from breaking apart and friendships from being destroyed. Show initiative to be a channel of peace to restore strained relationships.
So my dear friends, join hands with God in creating peace on earth and reconciling people to each other. There is much hate and war in every heart, but you can pray to God to make you a channel of his peace.
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Note: This prayer has been attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, but in all possibility the author is someone else. See the history of this hymn.
1Matthew 5:9 Bible