A plane has an instrument panel. In the Christian faith, peace does as well. To be just one indicator of peace can be as important as knowing the plane you're in is sound and flightworthy. Pilots continually check the indicators on their instrument panels to stay on course and ensure a secure and comfortable flight. They depend on the readings of each of the instruments, and the passengers depend on the pilot.
In Make Me an Instrument, author Tom Kingery explains how the church is your plane, taking you through the skies with Jesus as the pilot and the pastor as a flight attendant. You're not in it just for the ride. You're an instrument of peace. You help make the ride better, smoother, and more comfortable. He tells how the first petition of the Prayer of Saint Francis is to be an instrument of God's Peace.
Saint Francis of Assisi believed, back in the thirteenth century, that Christians should pray to be instruments of God's peace. As instruments of peace, you can share your hope with others. You can't give faith to anyone else, only God can do that. It's up to them to receive it. Like mechanical instruments, you can't make them operate, but you can plug them into a source of power.
