September 22, 2021
A Yes, But World: A Prayer
Stadiums
filled to capacity,
maskless masses massed,
crowds aroar, cheers deafening,
fanatical fans frenzied,
normalcy taking the field again;
theaters
filled to the rafters,
the lights of Broadway lit up again,
standing ovations before the curtain rises,
audiences madly applauding,
bringing the house down,
normalcy taking the stage again;
hospitals
filled to overflowing,
patients in hallways,
people turned away,
no cheering,
no ovations,
no normalcy
here;
numbers up,
numbers down,
numbers up;
schools in,
schools out,
schools in;
masks on,
masks off,
masks on;
vaccine yes,
vaccine no,
vaccine yes;
boosters needed,
boosters not needed,
boosters needed;
and this is just for starters,
don’t forget D. C.,
fences up,
fences down,
fences up;
and everything else as well: up, down, on, off, in, out.
O Lord, we live in a yes, but world,
lead yes, but lives,
languish in yes, but existences.
Yes,
we’re getting back to normal;
but,
it may not last.
Yes,
we can enjoy some things again,
but,
not for long maybe, what with the virus stalking still.
Yes,
much is being relaxed;
but,
much makes it hard to relax, things so uncertain.
It’s a
herky-jerky life,
a start-stop existence,
a helter-skelter way of living;
confusing,
exasperating,
exhausting;
whiplash
living.
How we need, O Lord, to get back to normal again!
How we need to be able to enjoy again!
How we need to live again!
Yes.
But,
the thing is,
you know
how we are,
how we get,
how we act,
in a yes, but world;
how impatient we are,
how angry we get when everything is so confusing,
how we often do stupid things when we’ve had enough;
and
how it all
can make us into
yes, but Christians:
Yes, we believe, but…
Yes, we trust, but…
Yes, we love, but…
But,
you
are not
a yes, but God;
you love us,
no buts about it;
you are for us,
no ifs or ands about it;
you deliver us,
no doubt about it.
And so,
grace us with
a faith
that says yes to you,
no doubt about it;
a hope
that says yes to you,
no ifs or ands about it;
a love
that says yes to you,
no buts about it;
so that
we can live
in this yes, but world with
confidence enough
to live without answers,
certainty enough
to live without confusion in the confusion;
conviction enough
to live without being swayed by all that is
dead wrong.
Give us the
patience we need,
wisdom we need,
courage we need
to live in
such a world
and continue to
serve you,
serve others,
serve truth and goodness and
kindness.
And we pray, O Lord, for all those who need your Yes:
those battling the coronavirus and other illnesses;
those who are dying;
those who are grieving;
those struggling with depression;
those who hunger, who are homeless,
who feel lost and alone.
Let your healing, comforting, consoling, uplifting, and
strengthening
Yes
give them
hope.
And let us be your
Yes
to them
as well.
O Lord, I guess we’ll always live in a
yes, but world.
Yes,
I know.
But
I also know
that if we would say
yes
to you,
there would be more and more days of
cheering,
applauding,
rejoicing,
and no buts about it!
Amen.