Wednesday, November 4, 2020
I Catch Myself Thinking: A Prayer
O Lord, as I prepare this prayer,
the election
is still a few days off
and I
catch myself thinking,
find myself saying,
hear myself praying,
that it just
be
over,
because
what I want is
peace,
not simply peace of mind,
but people at peace with one another,
no longer the enemies they never were
but told they were,
people reconciled;
and healing,
our nation healed,
people trusting one another again,
having faith in one another again,
suspicion suspended;
and unity,
a unified union,
not the disgraceful, dysfunctional, disunity we are,
a union united in pursuing
a more perfect union.
But then, O Lord, I catch myself thinking
that even when it’s over
it won’t be over;
find myself saying
that no matter what the outcome,
what needs to come
may not come;
and so
hear myself praying
that I hope
that we
have learned something,
have been taught something
have come to see something;
learned that
kindness matters,
compassion matters,
consideration of others matters,
that
for all our wealth,
without such things
we are poorer than the poorest of the poor
and are people and a nation
to be pitied;
taught that
when fear drives us,
resentment consumes us,
prejudice controls us,
chaos and divisiveness and injustice
will continue to undo us;
see that
if ever
the outcome
is to be peace and healing and unity
it will have far more to do
with people
than politicians,
people of faith,
people who do not need fear or enemies or anger;
people who live truth;
people willing to sit down with others
and talk and listen
and seek
common ground, the
common good;
people who have the courage to live
by standards higher than
the reality TV standards
our culture
lives by;
people who find their hope
in you.
And so, Lord, what I catch myself thinking,
find myself saying,
hear myself praying,
is that
it’s time
for American Christianity to
stop being the farce it has become and
start being the force it is meant to be,
a force for what is
good and
right and
true;
to
stop selling it’s soul to politicians and
start serving you and your purposes
with all its soul;
to
stop fitting in and
start
standing out,
standing up,
standing against;
standing out from the crowd of Christians
who gladly go along with
the crowd of culture;
standing up for what we know down deep
is right;
standing against what we must
stand against
if we are Christian at all;
because
what will come
will depend on
what we are,
depend on
being people
who follow your way.
And the coronavirus, Lord, how we want that to
be over,
and over
right now!
But it won’t be right now,
won’t be for a good while,
maybe a long time.
And so we pray
that a vaccine will soon be approved;
that we will continue to do
the right and responsible thing
to protect others and ourselves;
that you will grace us with the
patience and strength we need
and lift our spirits
as we weary of it all.
And we pray for
those battling the virus,
those mourning the loss of someone to the virus,
those out of work because of the virus
and struggle to pay the rent
and keep food on the table;
those struggling with other diseases,
those sinking in despair;
and for the forgotten and the invisible:
the hungry and homeless,
the refugees and detainees and children,
all we had just as soon forget.
Heal, comfort, aid, be with and sustain them all!
O Lord, as I prepare this prayer,
the election
is still a few days off
and I have no idea what the
outcome
will be.
But I do know what the
outcome
must be
no matter who is elected.
In your power,
through us,
work
the peace, the healing, the unity, the justice, the hope
that perhaps
we all of us
catch ourselves,
find ourselves,
hear ourselves,
praying for
day after day after day.
Amen.