This is the second day into the new year and we need a blessing to kick things off the right way. I borrow from the words of (or rather, the words attributed to) St. Francis of Assissi: "Where there is hatred and anger in our lives, may God sow seeds of 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."
If you didn't notice, I have "Reformed" the original words to make it more of an actual benediction. When we give or receive a blessing, God needs to be the primary actor. What kind of blessing is it to say, "may we sow seeds of of love ..."? A blessing, properly understood, is a prayer that asks God to do something in our lives. It acknowledges that we need the Bless-er to do things in our lives that we cannot do alone.
I am capable of sowing seeds of love, pardon, faith, et. al., in small and insignificant ways. It remains my responsibility to be active in these pursuits in 2013. But what I need most is for God to do for me what I cannot adequately do for myself (or others). In other words, may God make me more loving, more forgiving, for faith-filled, more hope-ful, more illumined, and more joy-ful this year. And may God do the same thing in your life!
I don't know about you, but I need more of God's actions in my life this year. If we can do anything of value, it is to be more open for the works that God is trying to do in and through us. The seeds that we sow are important only in as much as God is saturating those same seeds with his grace. In the words of Paul, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." (I Cor. 3:6)
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