Once again, Lord,
our nation has been struck
with the tragedy of violence,
in a supermarket, maybe in the produce section
or near the shelves or bread or by the deli counter,
all places where we trust, we hope, we presume
and now we must pray we'll be safe...
I pray for the victims, Lord,
shot down while on a simple errand's run
thinking of work and loved ones
and what to make for dinner that night...
And I pray for their families and friends,
for their neighbors and their communities
and for all of us who are kin to them
in a network of vulnerability...
And I pray for your Spirit to counsel and guide
those who make our laws
and those charged to enforce those laws,
especially those who willingly stand, day and night,
in harm's way, between ourselves and danger
that stalks our well being and threatens our security,
our sense of freedom and peace of mind...
Teach us to find a way, to find many ways
to curb, to halt this violence:
we're not stupid, Lord, but we're stubborn
and fail to make the changes we need to make
to render our streets and schools
and all our shared and common places
safe for all to walk and run and rest and ride
and live our lives in peace...
It's time now, Lord, to pray the words
we pray every night of the week,
words with special meaning for us this evening,
Protect us, Lord, and watch over us...
Protect us, Lord, while we're awake
and watch over us while we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
Lord, Keep Us Safe by Darren Bartlett and Salvacosta
Lord, keep us safe this night,
secure from all our fears;
may angels guard our sleep
till morning light appears.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please THINK before you write
and PRAY before you think!