July 26, 2023
“It’s the New Growth Industry:” A Prayer
O Lord, it’s the new growth industry the commercial said,
security
the new growth industry;
security
not as in guards, but
security
as in
cybersecurity;
security
as in
computers, iphones, social media, systems, programs;
security
as in
hacking, breaches, viruses, fraud, theft;
security
as in
protection from anonymous threats,
strategies to counter threats,
surveillance to detect threats, threats to
personal security,
national security,
global security,
data retrieved, identifies stolen,
accounts accessed, privacy violated,
safety compromised; and
suddenly it struck me,
struck me that the
real threat
to ourselves
is ourselves;
every new creation, advance, development,
meant to make
life better,
work more efficient,
communication easier,
banking, buying, billing more convenient,
braking more automatic,
bombing more accurate,
brings
bucketful of
problems, issues, risks, dangers, threats,
not foreseen,
not anticipated,
not prepared for;
and so,
new growth industry
security,
securing ourselves,
securing ourselves against ourselves,
securing security as we increase our insecurity.
That’s what struck me, O Lord, when I heard that commercial
for a technical school offering
training in security service, that
really it was offering training in
saving ourselves
from ourselves,
and that
we all need to
go back to school
when it comes to that,
because
nearly all of
the problems
we face today in our nation and neighborhoods and
personal lives too
we have brought on ourselves;
we wring our hands
in the face of the
violence
that has us
frightened and looking over our shoulders no matter where we are;
but
what else should we expect
in our culture of
violence, violent
shows, games, music, movies, language;
in our culture of
parents gone AWOL,
parents not parenting,
parents not teaching
respect, responsibility, reverence, and more;
in our culture of
politicians
passing on the issue,
passing on passing common sense measures;
in our culture of
anger and rage,
bitterness and resentment,
many feeling
left out,
left behind,
left hopeless;
we wring our hands
in the face of the
prejudice and hatred
continuing to tear our nation apart;
but
what else should we expect
in our culture of
fear, the fear that
others want to take what we have;
in our culture of
needing to blame others,
refusing to take responsibility;
in our culture of
celebrating cruelty,
condoning nastiness,
contemning kindness;
we wring our hands
in the face of
costs out of control,
prices through the roof,
everything escalating;
but
what else should we expect
in our culture of
corporations colluding, companies complicit,
legislators legislating bedrooms but not boardrooms;
in our culture of
greed good,
wealth worshipped,
enough never enough;
in our culture of
me, money, more;
and on and on
it goes,
lies loved, decency derided, vileness valued, truth terminated,
God gone;
and so,
what else should we expect?
O Lord, do for us the one thing we cannot do for ourselves,
which is to
save us
from ourselves;
save us
from what our culture has become,
from what Christianity has become,
from what we have become;
save us
from our beliefs and opinions and actions,
from our judgement of others, our poor judgement, our lack of judgement,
from your judgement we so richly deserve; and
grace us with
sound judgement,
good sense,
keen insight,
moral courage,
wisdom,
so that
what comes is
the last thing
we might expect:
hope.
And we remember, O Lord, those who are ill or hospitalized,
suffering or hurting, the dying, the grieving, those at
the end of their rope, and the hungry, the homeless,
refugees everywhere.
Heal, comfort, sustain, be with, strengthen them, and
let us be something of you to them,
to work hope for them.
O Lord, it may be the new growth industry, but it’s nothing new to you
because
safety,
security,
salvation,
has always been
your growth industry;
and we pray that
you would continue to be very industrious in
safeguarding our lives in you,
securing us to you and your love,
saving us from ourselves, saving us
for you.
Amen.
