Proposed Oath of Office

Lord, make me a channel of thy peace;

that where there is hatred, I may bring love;

that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;

that where there is discord, I may bring harmony;

that where there is error, I may bring truth;

that where there is doubt, I may bring faith;

that where there is despair, I may bring hope;

that where there are shadows, I may bring light;

that where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted;

to understand, than to be understood;

to love, than to be loved.

For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.

It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.

It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

Amen.

I'd like to suggest this as a new oath of office for world leaders. Every Presidential candidate talks about change. This simple prayer would be a novel approach to governing a nation. Many of you will recognize this as one version of the Saint Francis Prayer. It just seems to me that everything would run a little smoother in this world if folks added this to their job descriptions.

Saint Francis, born to wealth and privilege, turned to a life of poverty, privation, and devotion, much to his father's disgust. Popularly considered the patron saint of animals, his patronage also includes the environment, stowaways, and merchants. He was the founder of the Order of the Friars Minor, more widely known as the Franciscans. There's no relationship between Saint Francis and Frangelico liqueur. But the monk-shaped bottle with the little rope sash is cute.

I am no saint by even the most lax standards. I start my day with this prayer each morning. It's a good daily plan, no matter your spiritual leanings. I must admit, by the end of the day I fall short in one or more areas. I am making an effort, however. When I sum things up before I lower my lamp, I think about my shortcomings, forgive myself, and (most times) get a good night's rest. So far, I've been given a new chance each morning to try again.