Wednesday, November 11, 2020
O Lord, Save Us From Ourselves! A Prayer
O Lord, even though the election is over at last,
it may not be over at last,
over for only
half
the people,
and that’s why
I’m worried,
worried
because
I can’t help but think that
we have become
a house
divided
against itself,
a nation divided against itself, even
families,
friendships,
churches
divided
against themselves;
people
not simply differing but
divided,
divided
into enemy camps,
talking like enemies talk,
acting like enemies act,
attacking like enemies attack,
like a regular
civil war,
an uncivil war,
words as weapons,
destroying the union
in the name of saving the union;
and I’m worried,
worried
that there is
little hope
of healing,
worried
because
no union, no nation, no house, no relationship, no group,
is able to stand,
withstand,
survive,
being divided
against itself.
O Lord, what has happened to us?
Some days
I think we have forgotten how to
live together
in any house,
in any relationship at all,
in any union at all,
let alone in a nation,
even how to live together
as believers;
forgotten
that in any union
the “We”
matters more than
the “ME”;
forgotten
that only if
we hold unfailing
our love
for one another,
for our nation,
for you,
will we be a
“We”
that is strong enough to be able to
differ
without divorcing
(and we will differ, differ sharply);
disagree
without demonizing
(and we will disagree);
dispute
without dissolving (and we will dispute);
forgotten
that to remain a strong “We”
requires
common ground, common purpose, common courtesy,
compromise,
cooperation;
and respect –
it seems that we have
forgotten
respect,
respect for the other;
and a good dose of humility, and
decency.
O Lord, Pogo was right:
“We have met the enemy and
the enemy is
us.”
And so,
save us, Lord,
save us from ourselves,
the enemy we are
to ourselves
and our nation,
save us from
our unfounded fears,
our unfounded suspicions,
our unfounded prejudices,
that create the divide between us;
save us from
our need for fear,
our need for anger,
our need for an enemy,
that widens the divide between us;
save us from
believing only what we want to believe,
believing beliefs that are just plain wrong,
believing beliefs that
justify
the divide.
Save us
from ourselves
so that
we love truly,
trust deeply,
believe rightly,
and in spite of all our differences
come together,
live together,
in unity and peace
in this house, this union,
that is our nation.
And Lord, we pray that we would stop allowing
the coronavirus
to divide us,
but encourage one another to keep taking it seriously, and
love our neighbor by
doing the right and responsible thing
that will help slow its spread
and bring about
its end.
And let us keep praying for
those who are battling the virus,
those mourning the loss of someone to the virus,
and keep dong what we can for
those struggling financially because of the virus,
those who are isolated and alone,
those who are overwhelmed with it all.
And let us remember
those fighting other diseases,
those easily forgotten,
especially the children.
Heal, comfort, uphold, strengthen and sustain them!
And lift us
in hope
day after day
and grant us the patience we need in these days.
O Lord, may bridges of understanding be built
across the divide
that divides us
so that
at last
healing comes and
we no longer need worry about being divided
but be united
in a union
made strong
by our
differences.
Amen.