Wednesday, September 30, 2020
We Need More Stories Like Their Stories: A Prayer
O Lord, how we need more stories
like
their stories,
how our country needs more stories
like
their stories,
so sorry
and sad
is the story of our country today,
a sad story of
the sorry state
of the union
which is no union at all,
so the sad, sorry story of our
disunion,
disorder,
dysfunction;
people shot,
protesters protesting,
police shot,
protesters protesting protesters,
politicians pleased (Talk about a vote-getter!);
people infected,
people dying,
people in denial,
people not pleased with people, but
politicians pleased (Another vote-getter for sure!);
people afraid,
people angry,
people anxious,
people antagonistic, but (You guessed it)
politicians pleased (Hey, we’re talking votes here!);
the sad,
sorry,
story of
what we have become as people,
what politics has become
(Your word for the day, children is: toxic),
what our country has become;
other stories needed,
like their stories,
like the story of
two justices,
a tiny Jewish woman and a round-faced Italian Catholic man,
one liberal, one conservative,
miles apart,
discussing fiercely
fierce opinions fiercely held,
arguing fiercely,
dissenting fiercely,
and yet
fierce respect for one another, even more,
friends,
fast friends,
going to the opera together,
relaxing together,
laughing together,
an abiding love for the constitution
at the heart of
an abiding love for one another;
or the story of
two senators,
opposite sides of the aisle,
opposite ends of the political spectrum,
opposite as opposite could be,
disagreeing vehemently,
disputing wholeheartedly,
debating passionately,
and yet
friends,
great friends,
sitting down together to work out differences,
compromising
(When’s the last time you heard of that?)
for the good of the country
they loved,
that abiding love
at the heart of
their abiding friendship;
or the story of
two men,
one white, one black,
one a Jewish billionaire business-builder,
the other a beaten, blooded, Baptist bridge-builder
(Knew a lot about bridges, he did),
far, far apart, many might think,
yet close, so very close,
family meals together,
long talks,
dear, dear friends,
an abiding love for justice
at the heart of
their abiding love;
other such stories too,
but mostly from years past,
fewer and fewer today,
hardly any at all (What’s happened to us?),
making for
the sad, sorry state we are in.
O Lord, how we need more stories like their stories,
stories of hope,
stories of how you work hope,
stories of the only hope we have,
stories of people
who learned how to
not see an opponent as the enemy
(Don’t you just love political ads?);
talk openly and honestly and passionately
with someone who has opposing views
and remain friends
(Really);
not resort to rudeness or rancor or rage
but respect the other
(You know, like we once did);
leave snideness and sneering and snarling
to the pros
(Need I say who they are?);
actually discuss a divisive issue without
demeaning or deriding or degrading
the other
(When did “civility” become a
dirty word?);
stories of people who learned to
love something other than themselves,
serve something greater than themselves,
work together for something higher than their own good,
the common good;
stories of
dignity, character, truth, honor, courage,
hope.
O Lord, if we have forgotten how to
be such people ourselves,
then teach us,
teach us
how not to
allow fear and prejudice and anger to drive us;
allow our opinions to be formed by everyone and everything
except you and your Word;
allow ourselves to be swayed by only what
serves ourselves;
teach us
that we must learn to
collaborate, cooperate, compromise;
teach us
to love something
higher and greater
than ourselves,
teach us
to love you and your commands,
so that what must stop,
will stop.
And Lord, more than a few of us
are getting so tired of
sheltering in place,
social distancing,
sporting masks,
that we are tempted to start doing
stupid;
and so grace us with the patience and strength we need
to keep doing
smart and safe.
And we pray for
police and peaceful protesters too throughout the country,
and that there be an end to the violence
and a coming together
for the sake of justice.
And we pray for
those contending with the coronavirus,
those mourning the deaths of 200,000 and more,
those fighting cancer and other diseases,
those struggling to keep their heads above water,
those overcome with despair.
O Lord, help us to be good stories ourselves
so that
the sad and sorry story
of today
will become
the glad and hope-filled story
of tomorrow,
the story
of a union truly a union,
peace.
Amen.