Where There Is Hatred, Let Me Sow Love

Where there is hatred, Let me sow love.

I love this line of his prayer.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Now where is there hatred? Where is it lurking? Where does it exist? I suppose we can picture many places in our world where there is hatred....like war-torn countries, like places where there is gang violence, like where crime and violence seem to linger. But I propose to you that St. Francis did not say look to other places for hatred....he said let me sow love so I think he meant for us to look at the hatred that is closer to our lives.

What do I hate? I hate it when I feel taken advantage of....I hate it when someone is unkind to me....I hate it when people make fun of me or of others at that some one's expense....I hate it when it feels like my world is crashing in around me. I just hate those times.

So the next line says, "Let me sow love." What does that mean? How do you 'sow' love? I think St. Francis was speaking as if sowing in a field...planting seeds, scattering seeds, disseminating seeds.....Seeds of love. Hmmmm What kind of seeds are those?

Is it merely "good feelings"? Is it something that makes us feel good by doing it? Is it a decision to love, to care for, to nurture. Perhaps it is all of these things. When I am sowing love, I concentrate on forgiveness. I concentrate on someone else's needs, rather than my own. I concentrate on what bring peace to the situation. Sowing love is not an easy task and yet it is the easiest thing in the whole wide world to do! Be gentle, be kind, be accepting, be loving. Let it come from within and proceed out. Let it be.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.