Prayer
for Today
“…And
when the broken-hearted people
Living
in the world agree,
There
will be an answer, let it be…”
John
Lennon & Paul McCartney (“Let It Be”)
It is
finally Friday in a week that has ripped the heart out of America. After anger,
horror, and disbelief, we are weighed down with sadness in a year that has seen
far too much sickness, loss, and death already. To say we have been brought to
our knees by the virus and by the actions of our own president and his followers,
would be an appropriate assessment of our current state.
People
on their knees are in a good position to pray. An attitude of humility prepares
the soil for those prayers to be authentic. In the 12-Step programs, the first
step is admitting powerlessness. We have no direct power to put our nation back
together, but we do have the power to change ourselves. The demonstration of destructive
rage we saw unleashed in our Capital on Wednesday, should sober us up, and drain
whatever delusions of grandeur we may have entertained about our superiority. Because of that spree, five people are dead. So,
here we are, on our knees. Let us pray.
“God,
we are broken—as a people, as a nation, as a world, and we need help. Please
open our eyes to the truth of the pain and loss suffered by each of us. We need
compassion for ourselves, for each other, and for our world. Here and now, we
lay down our conceit that we are better than everyone else, that we are superior
beings, and that we do not need to concern ourselves with the rest of creation.
Help us to understand that compassion and humility are spiritual gifts that will
benefit us most of all. Give us the strength and courage to clean up the mess
we have made. Help us to appreciate the precious life of every being on this
planet, and all that has been graciously provided by you. Forgive our
ignorance, our hubris, and our hard-headedness. Give us a new heart. This we
pray. Amen”
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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