Happy 5th of July!
There were some awesome, moving, funny and quitely original Posts for Peace yesterday. I'm still catching up on the whole list of blogs who contributed.
This morning I found two which touched me extremely personally, each for a different reason.
This first is from Cali, of Night Swimming. Written by a veteran and candidate for the House of Representatives, it reminded me of how grateful I am to have been rejected by the Army for a problem with my left lung when I was 17 years old.
As I said in my comment on Sarah's post, Let There Be Peace on Earth has always been one of my favorite songs. We sang it in church regularly, and it's had the biggest impact of any part of that tradition on how I approach life and see the responsibilities of our species on this pale blue dot called Earth.
This is the original, written by Francis of Assis in the 13th century. As I've matured, I've found myself reflexively changing a couple of the words in my head. The message and emotion are timeless though, and need no modification, IMO.
This morning I found two which touched me extremely personally, each for a different reason.
This first is from Cali, of Night Swimming. Written by a veteran and candidate for the House of Representatives, it reminded me of how grateful I am to have been rejected by the Army for a problem with my left lung when I was 17 years old.
As I said in my comment on Sarah's post, Let There Be Peace on Earth has always been one of my favorite songs. We sang it in church regularly, and it's had the biggest impact of any part of that tradition on how I approach life and see the responsibilities of our species on this pale blue dot called Earth.
This is the original, written by Francis of Assis in the 13th century. As I've matured, I've found myself reflexively changing a couple of the words in my head. The message and emotion are timeless though, and need no modification, IMO.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,A Happy and Peaceful July 5th all. As long as we live, there will always be chances for 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;
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.
That video at nightswimming got to me deeply. It was dark and beautiful all at the same time. I was humming the song the rest of the day. The first half of the day I was singing Imagine.
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