Wednesday, July 22, 2020
O Lord, How We Need You to Be You! A Prayer
O Lord, it’s amazing, absolutely
amazing,
astonishing,
astounding,
that you think
exactly
what I think;
that your opinions
are exactly the same as
my opinions;
that your politics
are exactly the same as
my politics;
that your candidate
is exactly the same candidate as
my candidate;
that you dislike
exactly the same people
I dislike;
that you feel
exactly
what I feel
(especially about you know who);
that you believe
exactly
what I believe
(especially about you know what);
that you would say
exactly
what I say
(especially about, well, you know);
that you want
exactly
what I want.
It’s amazing, absolutely
amazing
astonishing
astounding
that we are on exactly
the same page,
have exactly
the same views,
have exactly
the same attitudes.
It’s just so comforting to know
how Christian I am,
how right I am,
how wrong
those people are (you know: them).
O Lord, forgive me,
forgive all of us,
because
I don’t think it’s just me
but all of us
who in one way or another
figure that we
have you pegged,
nailed down,
and just know
that you’re right there with us on everything,
no matter
what it is
we think or say or feel or do or want,
right there in our back pocket.
Forgive us our
absolutely
amazing,
astonishing,
astounding,
absolutely,
absurd,
appalling,
arrogant,
assumption,
that your thoughts are our thoughts
your ways our ways.
No wonder
we are in such a mess in this country,
don’t know how to get out of the mess,
keep making a mess of things.
O Lord, when will we ever learn,
learn that
truly
our minds cannot encompass you,
our imaginations cannot contain you,
our hearts cannot capture you;
that
truly
your thoughts are not our thoughts,
your way are not our ways;
that
truly
you are the Creator of all,
Lord over all,
God
Almighty?
And that
is what we so desperately need:
you,
you as you
truly
are,
not
the god our culture thinks you are –
the good buddy, life-coach, cheerleader
you have become in the minds of
far too many –
but you,
Creator, Lord, God Almighty, and yes
Judge,
but Redeemer too.
O Lord, if ever there is to be hope
for us,
for our nation
for this earth,
if ever
we are to get out of the messes we are in,
stop making such a mess of things,
then we must
learn again
that you, and you alone, are God
and learn again
your ways,
the ways that no longer matter much to many,
your ways getting in the way of
their ways,
getting in the way of getting more
of whatever it is they want
to get more of
(money? power? success?)
your ways too tough, too demanding, too costly
(not big on sacrifice, are we?);
your way of
truth and virtue,
right-doing and justice,
love and forgiveness,
kindness and mercy,
compassion and healing;
and learn again
your thoughts,
your thoughts
about all those whom more and more today
readily dismiss,
easily ignore,
callously disregard,
cruelly mock and malign,
write off
with no thought at all,
the very ones who are precious in
your sight –
the poor and outcast and refuge, the stranger,
the weak and vulnerable,
the losers –
the very ones who are
winners
in your sight,
the blessed,
your disturbing, disrupting, distressing
thoughts
(not big on serving are we?).
O Lord, how we need you to be you!
How we need to
obey you!
(Did I actually say obey?)
How we need to make
your thoughts and
your ways
our thoughts and our ways!
Because
the worst we are seeing
is the best we can do
without you.
O Lord, we pray too that you would heal, strengthen, comfort
all those battling the coronavirus,
all those treating them,
all those mourning the loss of someone to the virus.
and that through us
continuing to do the right and smart thing
and through scientists
seeking a vaccine
you would work its end.
O Lord, be you
and grant us the faith and courage and strength
to love you
and obey you
(there’s that word again),
and lift up our hearts
and praise you,
Creator, Lord, God Almighty, our Judge and our Redeemer,
our hope
eternal.
Amen.