A Concord Pastor Comments: NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 5/28

There's a power for evil, Lord,
a power roaming the world,
   seeking the ruin of humanity's soul,
   working to dismantle all we've built up,
   to pull apart all we've brought together,
   to sour and spoil all we've sweetened
     through our sacrifice and love...

And when evil fails to claim the day
it satisfies itself with lesser, minor victories:
   - seeding faith with doubt and fear
   - weakening hope through disappointment
   - abusing trust by threat of force
   - distorting truth through lies and pretense,
   - ceding law to power and privilege
   - stifling spirits, joy and hope

- one soul at a time...

And when even these fail, Lord,
evil takes delight in all the ways we
   - mistake the part for the whole,
   - confuse our bias with reality,
   - care for ourselves before tending to others,
   - take for granted all that we have,
   - lose ourselves and those we love

in resentments and disputes...

We satisfy ourselves, Lord,

in heated discussions that
   - are minor and pointless
   - signal our virtue
   - corrupt the truth
   - avoid the real questions
   - and lead us to think our debates might
        resolve the issues and problems at hand

- but they don't and won't and can't...

So, even on a losing day, Lord,
evil can often find something to smile about...

And on different days, Lord,

   and in different ways,
       - I'm a part of all of this -
   as I may have been this very day

now coming to a close...

Forgive me, Lord,

forgive me for the times today when I let evil

get too close,

influence my thoughts,

whisper through my words,

nip at my heels,

warp my attitude,

divide my heart

and tempt to hate rather than love

my family, my friends,

my neighbors, my enemies...

Forgive me, Lord,
   for the energy and effort,
       the breath and words I wasted
   when I might have given my heart and time
       to you in prayer,
   and myself to others much in need
       of my attention, support and care...

Forgive me, Lord,
   and give me a good night's rest
that tomorrow I might wake refreshed
   and in the power of your Spirit rise above
       what temptations may come my way...