Things are seldom what they seem.
Skim milk masquerades as cream.
—Gilbert and Sullivan
A favorite saying around our home is “Oh, I didn’t know that!” In addition to two newspapers, my husband and I get a lot of magazines and newsletters. Among these are Science, Science News, and various wellness newsletters reporting the latest research. Whenever one of us reads something of interest we pass it on to the other. It’s a great reminder of how little we know about the world. In one sense we’re like the little girl in the picture, trying to hug the “other little girl” in the mirror. She doesn’t understand how mirrors work, and there’s a lot that we adults don’t understand. The universe is complicated, and the world is changing rapidly, so many of our ideas of reality will prove to be outmoded. It behooves us to keep ourselves…mind, body and spirit…in good shape. It behooves us to keep learning and growing.
One of my latest “Oh, I didn’t know that!” moments came via Bob at every, every minute. He’s inviting bloggers to join the St. Francis Project. The idea is to write a post once a week in February on part of the Prayer of St. Francis. I’ve agreed to do it, and in the process I learned that the prayer may not have been written by St. Francis. I didn’t know that! Apparently the first known appearance of the poem was in French in 1912. Its association with St. Francis may have been because in 1920 it was printed and distributed, with the title Prière pour la paix (Prayer for Peace), on the back of an image of St. Francis. It’s just another slight adjustment to my imperfect view of the world.
What about you? What have you learned lately? How are you responding to this rapidly changing world? What’s your reaction to the Prayer for Peace? (Included below.) Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments section.
Photo by Eric & Kari via Flickr. Creative Commons license.
The Prayer for Peace, divided by topics for weekly posts:
Week One: February 1-9
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
Week Two: February 10-16
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Week Three: February 17-23
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.
Week Four: February 24-March 1
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. Amen
Thanks to bikehikebabe, Wendy, Tom, Peter, and Chris for commenting on last week’s post.
Related posts:
Lifelong Learning,
What I learned From Being Downsized,
Looking, Learning, Opening Up to Life,
Stay Curious annd Open to Life,
Holy Curiosity,
Creating Our Own Inner Guide,
Building a Solid Foundation
Hi Jean,
the Prayer for Peace is beautiful! It truly is an inspiring way of thinking, a way of living I unfortunately do need some reminding of now and then..
Thanks for bringing it, and Bob’s initiative to my attention!! I didn’t know that ;-)).
As for what I’ve learned lately… where shall I start..
To me, every day is a new opportunity to learn more about the people around me, and with that, also about myself. About who I am, and who I want to be (and maybe even, am intended to be..).
About how other people respond to things, and what is the best way to work together to achieve our common goals..
Experiences which remind me that one of the important things in life is to stay open, open to other opinions, feelings and view points, even though they may be quite opposite to my own. To try and be empathic towards the people around me.. And always, always stay authentic to myself. And create the peace and quite to be able to do just that…
Things I learn a bit more about each and every day, which truly make life as interesting as it is.
Thank you for sharing this, and my heartfelt thanks for your comment on my blog!!!!
warm wishes to you,
Ellen
Ellen,
Well put! I’m like you, if I’m to stay open to other people and to life I need moodling time, i.e., the peace and quiet you refer to, to keep in touch with the deepest parts of myself. That’s the only way I can be flexible and still true to my inner core. Thank you so much for coming by.
Hi Jean – I think that’s an awesome project that you’re participating in.
I notice that the prayer only speaks of giving and of love. Sometimes I think that message gets forgotten.
I learned that everybody needs love. I touched the arm of an extremely shy person yesterday. She rarely interacts with anyone. She smiled, took my hand and didn’t let go for a moment.
Al and Cynthia,
Thanks for coming by! As you may have noticed from this site, I do believe in love and compassion. The activity that’s warming my heart the most right now is helping to get a dog, dumped at the local animal shelter, adopted. See the before and after picture to see what a difference a couple of weeks can make.
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i love the prayer. and i love st francis whether he wrote it or not! it sounds like what he might have written.
i like his simplicity and that he was a lover and protector of the animals.
he has always been my favorite little saint. sometimes you see him in gardens, with his stone likeness holding a wee bird, with bunnies at his feet.
that makes me smile.
“i didn’t know that!” could be tatooed on my forhead probably. there is so much that i do not know. and lately…
even when i come to know it, i tend to later forget it! so i never know i actually knew it! know what i mean?
forehead. what is a forhead? i would never write that
there anyway!