What are we that you are mindful of us?
You made us a little lower than the heavenly beings,
and crowned us with glory and honor.
You made us ruler over the works of your hands;
You put everything under our feet
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is our name in all the Earth.”
(Psalm 8:4-9, slightly altered)
O Lord, our Lord, it is true: how majestic is your name in all the Earth. It is true that all over the Earth people praise you, worship you, serve you, follow you, believe in you.
Our sorrow is that we fail you so often, in so many ways. In our humility we do sometimes wonder how you could have entrusted your precious creation to us. We have taken seriously that we are just a bit below the angels, that we are rulers over all, that everything is under our feet. We have not taken seriously the responsibility, the stewardship, the leadership, the sacrifice that comes with such honor.
Holy God, we remember the six days of creation: all of life, all of nature, all of grandeur, all of the universe, all of humanity. And it was good, you said over and over again. What hopes you had for it all.
Today, we bring forth our sorrows and failures. Lord, in your mercy remember what we forget: the horrors of war in Yemen, the threatening crisis in Ibdil, Syria, the remaining casualties of floods and storms across the United States from this year and last, the bewildering treatment of Muslims and Christians in China, the disregard for women in places high and low, the loss of freedoms near and far, the neglect and disrespect of our environment, the crumbling of economies and infrastructure and work itself.
All this we grieve.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayers that floods recede, waters be cleansed, nations healed, rights restored, ruins rebuilt, Earth honored, life treasured, people respected, faith deepened, and love multiplied.
Loving God, we do not despair. We see the courage of peace-keepers, whistle-blowers, rescuers, volunteers, protesters, prisoners of conscience, people of good will, and leaders with vision.
Thank you, God, for being mindful of us, for allowing us to rule over the works of your hands. May we be equal to such honor. Amen.
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