September 13, 2023
“Try Unplugging It”: A Prayer
O Lord, someone has said that most everything in the world
will work again if we just
unplug it
for a while
and then
plug it back in;
and I have to agree
because, well, that’s
the first thing the AT&T customer service person
tells me to do whenever our U-Verse is on the fritz;
and the same is true when it comes to
every electronic device out there,
unplug it
for a while
and then
plug it back in;
I’m told
it has to do with the device
re-setting,
whatever that means;
all I know is that it works,
at least most of the time; but still,
it’s the best place to start; and
I got to thinking
maybe that’s what vacations, or just
getting away for a few days,
taking a short trip to
wherever,
is meant to be,
a time to
unplug,
re-set,
so that
things work again,
like
our minds,
our hearts,
our spirits;
I got to thinking
that might be a good idea
whether on vacation or not;
I got to thinking
maybe we need to
take the time to
unplug,
re-set,
wherever we are;
take the time to unplug
from the demands or expectations or obligations
that work or just life itself brings;
take the time to unplug
from the anxieties or worries
that overwhelm us day after day;
take the time to unplug
from the fears and angers
that drive us day after day;
to unplug from the news, the noise, the nonsense,
the noxious nastiness, the nauseating name-calling;
to unplug
even from illness or disease,
the all-consuming preoccupation of it;
to unplug
somehow as a nation,
from the jaw-dropping
selfish, self-serving, self-promoting
politics of today;
from the hatreds and prejudices
still working their evil;
from the violence
that owns us;
to unplug
from shallow Christianity, shoddy belief, shabby behavior;
to unplug
and
re-set.
O Lord, it’s what is needed, taking the time to re-set; the time to
re-set
our priorities;
reject what really isn’t important;
return to what truly matters, those who matter,
what gives purpose and joy to our lives;
re-set
our emotions
(and we truly can);
reject the anxieties and worries that
literally make us ill;
the fears that grip us
and fuel prejudice within;
the angers
that lead us to bitterness and resentment, even violence, and
slowly eat us alive;
return to trust, gratitude, kindness;
re-set
how we see
the world;
reject
the hopelessness
so many voices;
the lies
so many believe;
the hate
so many spew;
return to truth, goodness, love for the other;
re-set
how we manage illness and disease;
reject self-pity or blame or despair;
return to enjoying what we can, to
focusing on what still is and not on what
will never be, to giving thanks for
the little blessings and
tender mercies
in each day;
re-set
as a nation;
reject the lunacy
that has become normalcy;
return to the ideals at the heart of our nation,
the values and moral vision that should guide us,
the goal of a more perfect union; and
re-set
as Christians;
reject the cultural Christianity that is
hardly Christian at all, the Christianity
that goes down easy, requires little,
feel-good, free pass
Christianity;
re-set
our lives.
O Lord, it’s what is needed, but it’s a scary thing to do,
and so I pray that you would grace us with
the courage to
unplug
for a while
and then
plug back into life with
minds reset
to think as you would have us think,
to think thoughts based on the Gospel not culture,
to think about what we are becoming,
what we are failing to become
what we need to do,
how we are to act,
who we need to follow,
if we are to become the human beings you call us to be;
hearts re-set
to feel what you would have us feel,
to feel compassion for others and be kind and
gracious and loving,
to feel hope;
spirits re-set
with freshness and new energy,
with strength and new faith,
with joy.
And speaking of re-sets, O Lord, re-set our attitude, if need be,
toward those who are often invisible to us or easily dismissed,
the hungry, the homeless, refugees everywhere, and the
poor and struggling and hopeless.
Move us to pray for them
and to be there for them
however we can
And move us to pray for
and be there for
those who are ill or battling disease, those who are suffering,
those who are dying, those who are grieving,
those who despair.
Heal, comfort, sustain, and lift in hope all for whom we pray.
O Lord, it just struck me that maybe it would be a good way
to describe
prayer,
unplugging ourselves from all the distractions and
plugging ourselves into you,
your love and forgiveness,
your hope;
if that doesn’t get us
working again, living again, acting again
like we should,
then nothing will.
Amen.