Instruments of Peace
Music conveys the meaning of Christmas! Imagine the emotion that fills you as you sing “Silent Night” by candlelight on Christmas Eve, or the exuberance of singing “Joy to the World!”
St. Francis of Assisi is someone who is known for appreciating music. He sang constantly. “Sing to the Lord a new song” is a continual refrain of his prayers. He rejoices in the songs of birds and all creatures as they praise God. St. Francis combines music with a central hope of Christmas, that of peace, when he prays his most famous prayer, “Lord make me an instrument of your peace.”
I recently read a reflection about what music would have been like in St. Francis’ time. There were no machines, no background noise of modern life, and the only way to hear music was to be present when it was created. An instrument, in his time, would have been handcrafted. Instruments were rare, miraculous, and treasured items. When Francis prays to be made an instrument of God’s peace, he is acknowledging God’s skill as maker, recognizing that as a creation of God he is of utmost value, and offering himself up as a means through which God’s song of peace can be heard.
A treasured instrument many of us have heard is Tyrone Greive’s violin. Tyrone regularly plays for worship. He is a Midvale member and a former concertmaster for the Madison Symphony Orchestra. His violin was made in 1772 in Turin, Italy by the craftsman Guadagnini. Wood from a maple tree forms the back, and spruce forms the front. When this violin was constructed, Beethoven was two years old and Mozart was 16! The number of people who have played this instrument over the years is unknown, but you can imagine all the people who have experienced awe and joy hearing this instrument played. Tyrone understands himself as the current steward of this violin. He is privileged to take care of it and see that one day it is passed on to another who will appreciate it and continue to make beautiful music with it.
Can you imagine yourself, as St. Francis does in his prayer, as a lovingly created, invaluable instrument through which God’s music of peace, love and joy flow? The image of an orchestra in which we all play our individual parts can help us further understand. None of us can hear the whole; none of us is suited to play all the parts. But we offer up ourselves as an essential instrument to give voice to the good news of great joy that God hopes all the world will know. This Advent and Christmas, give yourself over to this prayer, “make me an instrument of your peace” and see yourself as an indispensable instrument sharing the music of God’s peace
