Divine Parent, no matter who we are or what we have done, you welcome us home with open arms. We may not believe it, but you deem us worthy of your love and grace. Therefore, we uplift to you our fragmented and imperfect prayers. Beckon us from within so that we may find that place where the deep calls to deep.
Merciful One, we pray for our siblings in Tonga where homes and lives have been decimated by tsunami waves triggered by a volcanic eruption. The island remains largely cut off from the outside world because electrical grids are down. Holy One, you are anywhere and everywhere. May all those who are lonely and alone feel the solace of you everlasting mercy and abiding peace. Make your presence known to all who are weary and heavy-laden.
Lord, we pray for our siblings in the Ukraine as troops from Russia approach their borders and anxiety of an impending attack rises. We pray for all those whose lives have been turned upside down by political and economic upheaval, especially Kazakhstan and Haiti. Protect all your children where fear looms and danger lurks. Shelter those whose lives are dictated by war, tyranny, and greed. May those in spheres of influence not just make decisions for their own benefit. Turn their hearts, turn all our hearts, towards serving and protecting those who are vulnerable and neglected.
Holy One, your divine image resides in each of our reflections. Help us to recognize it in one another. We pray for the family of a Venezuelan girl whose body was found in the Rio Grande between Mexico and United States. Console those who weep over the bodies of loved ones. We pray for all immigrants and refugees, your Son among them. Remind us that any time we draw a border or build a wall, you are on the other side. Let us root out anything growing within us that denies the humanity and dignity of another. We uplift to your safekeeping all who dream of a better life, all who flee persecution or abuse, all who seek relief, all who protect their loved ones.
We pray for the descendants of the Khoi and San, South Africa‘s earliest inhabitants, who are challenging the construction of Amazon’s new headquarters on their ancestorial sacred land. Let us honor what is holy for one another. We lament the defilement of your beloved creation.
Divine Healer, we are fragile, frigid, and frayed as we enter year three of this painful pandemic. Countries around the world, in India, Nepal, Brazil, are experiencing peaks in cases with the prevalence and persistence of the Omicron variant. We grieve all who have been killed by the virus, all who have lost a loved one, all who care for the sick. Over 5.5 million deaths have been officially reported worldwide, yet some estimates show over 19 million. Lord, our preexisting condition that prevents us from getting better is inequity. Public health officials tell us that income inequality is now a stronger indicator of whether someone will die from COVID-19 than age. We repent for ways our world is not as it could be or should be. Yet, we know that is not enough. Do not let our exhaustion keep us complacent. Let us hold ourselves accountable by working for more accessibility to vaccines and adequate healthcare for all.
God of hope, we pray for our heartbroken Jewish siblings after hostages were held, and thankfully later released, at Congregation Beth Israel, a synagogue in Texas, United States last weekend. May all who have been affected feel your steadfast love and abiding peace. Halt the spread of lies and prejudices that fuels bigotry. Grant us the strength to denounce anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred we encounter in the world and within ourselves.
Christ, catalyze us to turn these prayers into action. May we not just seek justice, but do justice; not just hope for peace, but make peace; not just say we love one another, but embody Your love. Amen.
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