Instrument of Peace

Living with the Prayer of St. Francis in a Fractured World

G. C. Smith

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2026
• Print ISBN:
  9798385286959
  9798385286966
• eBook ISBN:
  9798385286973
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Rituals & Practice

Instrument of Peace invites readers to move beyond reciting a beloved prayer into embodying it in daily life. In a world marked by division, violence, and moral strain, this book explores what it means to become a bearer of peace when peace feels fragile or absent. Drawing from real-world experiences--especially in contexts of disaster, suffering, and human conflict--the book reframes the Prayer of St. Francis not as idealistic poetry but as a demanding, lived practice. Each line becomes a pathway: from hatred to love, from injury to forgiveness, from despair to hope. The purpose of this book is twofold: to deepen spiritual formation and to offer practical guidance for those seeking to live faithfully amid brokenness. It equips readers--caregivers, leaders, responders, and everyday people alike--to act with courage, compassion, and integrity. Ultimately, this book asks a simple but profound question: What would it look like not just to pray for peace, but to become it?

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Where There Is Hatred
• 2. Where There Is Injury
• 3. Where There Is Doubt
• 4. Where There Is Despair
• 5. Where There Is Darkness
• 6. Where There Is Sadness
• 7. Where There Is Injury (Return)
• 8. Where There Is Love
• 9. Where There Is Hope
• 10. Where There Is Darkness
• 11. Where There Is Sadness
• 12. Where There Is Joy
• 13. Where There Is Peace
• 14. Where There Is Light
• 15. Where There Is Healing
• 16. Where There Is Wholeness
• 17. Where It Is Carried Forward
• Conclusion
• Using This Work in Community
• About the Author