In my post one step, then another, I concluded with The Prayer of St. Francis, which is a significant part of my life and of my family.
Recently, I came across this prayer and understand the Dalai Lama recites it daily. I found several links between the two prayers. I serve as a guide, bridge between the our lives and those in need. There are many metaphors in this prayer for me to take the shape of as I move through the world. Even if I cannot reach others physically, perhaps I can be a lamp from a distance as to help guide them in a moment of darkness.
Perhaps it is only in a kind word and acknowledging of the other who is present as we pass each other in a store. Kindness can be in short supply and in moments such as the one we are presently in a smile and greeting may make all the difference.
As I watched the news last night, they interviewed people who were setting up local help initiatives for seniors, donating food that might go to waste from a restaurant, and setting up a small food bank on the walk in front of their house. It is in moments such as this we become a lamp in darkness, a vase of plenty, and a tree of miracles.
Too often, we think (over-think) that miracles happen out there with some divine impulse. Maybe it is in the ordinary we discover the extraordinary.
“May I be a guard for those who need protection
A guide for those on the path
A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood
May I be a lamp in the darkness
A resting place for the weary
A healing medicine for all who are sick
A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles
And for the boundless multitudes of living beings
May I bring sustenance and awakening
Enduring like the earth and sky
Until all beings are freed from sorrow
And all are awakened.”
The other day, I heard Lean on Me by Bill Withers. It has this prayer’s message. Withers wrote the song as a call to others to lean on one another during challenging times. This form of love is agape, a love of one another as human beings, as opposed to a romantic love per se. But, romantic love that survives to become a pragmatic love (from the Greek pragma) takes on the agape more than romantic with time and seasoning.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
Posted your post on Facebook. We do need prayer. If you don’t have a favorite or a source, simply pray from your heart.
Thank you Melba.
Ivon, what a wonderful post. So very soothing. What a wonderful prayer. I’ve seen others which are very similar. Thank you for posting this one. Wishing you and your family well in these unusual circumstances. May blessings and miracles continue to be yours.
Thank you Carrie. Take care and be well with your loved ones. Share your miracles each day.
Reblogged this on Shechaim's News of the Day.
Beautiful ❤ ❤
Thank you Patrice.
What the world needs now is kindness. With our phones and computers still working, we have a way to touch many with our words. Some people are so stressed right now that a kind word or gesture means more than it usually would.
It does Bev.
I was about to ask you if agape was Greek. Asked and answered:) I like this prayer too. Thanks for sharing😊
Pat
Agape is the fraternal love for other humans and their souls. It is one of the 7 forms of love the Greeks identified. Pragma is not synomomous with practical. It means a long standing love. As people grow into it, there might be practical aspects to it e.g. finishing one’s sentences.
Aah!!! Love this! Thank you😊.
Pat
Hello
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Thank you for the visit and invite. I enjoyed a visit to your site. It has beautiful, breathtaking photos.
Thank you so much for your kind commencement.
I actually taught during the making of the film “Lean on Me”. It became our school’s theme song. We need to lean on each other more than ever. Thanks for the memories.
We do. You are welcome Melba.
The news is so negative these days.
But every once in a while, they will mention some of the kind acts that are happening in the midst of all this trouble. The shopping assistance, the soothing phone call, etc.
The ‘ordinary’ people–the angels all around!
It has been interesting to see how essential services are defined: truck drivers, grocery store employees, hospital workers, etc.
We depend on each other–our lives are interwoven like a complex spider web.
One strand breaks and that small break reverberates through every strand.
From the largest to the smallest, we quickly find out (once the services start to go away) that each was reliant on the existence of another.
That is interesting Mary. I was reading Parker Palmer today and he used similar language to describe how we interact.
Parker Palmer must be a writer? What is the name of the book?
I had three books of his out. I think it was in The Courage to Teach or on The Brink of Everything.
Thanks for visiting my site again, Ivan.
I so resonate with this prayer, because it highlights so many ways that we can respond to suffering of others in our world. Each of us has unique gifts, talents, Each of us is equipped to respond to our brothers and sisters in particular ways: a smile, a kind word or act, a gentle touch, a home-cooked meal — there are endless possibilities for comforting and consoling our fellow humans. In this time of physical separation, we are finding non-physical ways to unite with friends and family — even total strangers! How creative we’ve become!
I’m going to copy the prayer and keep it as a reminder of my responsibility now — to be the Light, the Wayshower, the Guide, the Angel. This is why we are here NOW. Thanks for the reminder, Alia
You are welcome Alia. It is a beautiful prayer. We need these words, thoughts, and actions during Covid-19. You are right. We are responsible to ourselves and others, seen and unseen, to make our way through this world in a meaningful and ethical way. Humans can be creative and it is in these times that creativity shines a light on the path. Take care and stay well.
Beautiful post, Ivon… Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Bette.
Thanks.
You are welome Melba.