June 1, 2022
“How I Wish There Was Immunotherapy for Our Lives, Culture, World”
A Prayer
O Lord, how I wish there was immunotherapy for
our lives,
our culture,
our world,
something that would eradicate
what is bad
but leave alone
what is good,
allowing it to
grow stronger,
become healthier,
increase;
how I wish there was
something,
anything,
an infusion of
something,
anything,
that would attack and destroy
what is slowly killing us,
but not touch
the goodness
within,
the goodness that gives life and hope;
how I wish there was
something,
anything,
that could defeat
the cancer
at the heart of
our lives,
our culture,
our world,
the cancer
that is
anger,
resentment,
bitterness,
prejudice,
violence,
evil,
fear;
the cancer
that is
eating away at us,
consuming us,
destroying us;
the cancer
that is
sin.
So what, Lord, do we do in the face of such a diagnosis?
Go into
denial
of course,
refuse
to accept the truth,
pretend
it isn’t happening;
and so,
people and politicians and populations
lying to themselves,
people saying
they’re not prejudiced
(How could they be? One of their best friends
is Hispanic);
guns not the problem, people are
(Okay, but why so many shootings
here? More crazies than
anywhere?);
our culture not violent, that’s the media
(Oh, really. Going to Lenox Square
anytime soon or downtown
tonight or Buckhead at
midnight?);
politicians useless, doing
nothing
except to do
what will keep the other side
from doing
anything,
not caring about
children, teachers, families,
careful to say what will play well back home and
get them re-elected and
give them another chance to do
nothing;
populations,
nations,
believing
leaders’ lies,
loving the lies,
not having to face
the evil they do,
the innocent they have killed,
the refugees they have turned away.
Sin.
O Lord, if ever there is to be hope for the children,
an end to the violence and evil,
hope for us, then
we must face
the truth of the diagnosis,
stop lying to ourselves,
go in for the full treatment;
and that means
recognizing our sin,
acknowledging our sin,
confessing our sin;
and that means
no excusing ourselves,
no blaming others,
no passing the buck,
and that means
needing your forgiveness,
seeking your forgiveness,
finding your forgiveness,
as we return to
you
and obedience to your way.
And that is
my prayer,
that you would
grace us with the courage
to go in for the full treatment and
allow you to infuse us
with your love,
so that
the bad within
dies and
the good within
grows strong enough
to defeat
the malignant evil and violence all around us;
pray too
that we could endure
the side effects,
especially the nausea,
being sickened
when we finally see what we and our culture and world
have become;
help us to endure
so that we emerge
in remission,
even cured,
healthy again,
people, culture, world.
And we pray, O Lord, for the people of the Ukraine,
that victory would be theirs. And for
those near and far off who battle illness,
those who are suffering and hurting,
those who are dying, those who are grieving,
especially the families of the victims
of the mass shootings in
Buffalo and Uvalde; and
those who are hungry or homeless.
Heal, console, be with, strengthen, uplift them!
O Lord, I really don’t need to wish that there is an
immunotherapy
for us and our world,
because
your love, your forgiveness, your grace and mercy
is that therapy.
May it course through our veins
and bring health to us
at last.
Amen.