Dear God,
A prayer is not a news bulletin, a donation request, telegram, text message, or a voice message. One could suppose that each could contain elements of a prayer, but they seem quite secular and every day.
How do we ask you to bring your peace that passes all understanding among us in these everyday times? We need your peace so badly. Not for one side or the other. How should we best tell you that we want to see the fighting stopped. It hurts us to hear that more than half of the victims in Gaza are children. Have mercy! Or how hostages must be in frank terror every moment. A prayer can be a cry, from a child, or a mother, or a healthcare worker. Prayer can be shared in ruins, in the dark, at sunrise, sunset, at the bedside, or on the battlefield.
At times praying is so difficult. It is hard trying to force emotions into words. Anger. Silence. Deep horror. Fear. Unshakable sadness. An Inexhaustible want for mercy. Yes, mercy. Your mercy. Mercy for one another.
Jesus, you showed us in your ministry a bleak time when nothing seemed to be coming together and everything falling apart – of domination and oppression. Here we are 2000 years later calamity upon calamity war in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Israel, Russia – death, oppression, destruction, armament, abandonment of dialogue, borders with wire and walls, guards, roving lights.
Help us with our words to transcend this time of war. Building peace is so awkward. Building your kin-dom is hard, not what we thought, it seems rough and treacherous. Practicing love of neighbor – sometimes, of so called enemies, it seems impossible. We pray for the peace keepers, those who can see beyond this dark fog of distrust and denial to a just world.
(Silence)
Holy is your name,
Help us to share our bread
To forgive
To acknowledge our sins and turn from evil.
We pray for your healing water.
We seek your justice.
In Jesus name,
Amen
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