Wednesday, September 9, 2020
It Couldn’t Be Any Clearer: A Prayer
O Lord, it couldn’t be any clearer,
because
through Paul
you have made it as clear as
clear can be,
spelled it out in big letters
easy to read,
left no doubt;
and in them midst of the crises confronting us,
the chaos and confusion,
the unrest
and upheaval
and uncertainty,
it is what we need
more than anything,
a clear word
that leaves no doubt as to
who we are to be,
what we are to do,
how we are to live;
leaves no doubt that we are to
let love be genuine,
hate what is evil,
hold fast to what is good;
be kind, show compassion, treat others with respect;
be passionate for your way,
be aglow with the Spirit,
serve you;
rejoice in hope, be patient in trouble, be constant in prayer;
extend hospitality to all;
rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep;
live in harmony with one another;
not be haughty,
associate with the lowly,
never be conceited;
repay no one evil for evil;
never avenge ourselves,
feed our enemy if he is hungry,
give him something to drink if he is thirsty;
not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.
O Lord, it couldn’t be any clearer.
And so grace us
with the courage
to clearly
live it
day after day,
especially in these days when
candidates are courting us,
campaigns are coming on to us,
parties are proposing to us;
the courage
to let them know
that they won’t even get to first base with us
because we are
already in a relationship,
already committed, have
already found the love of our life;
the courage
to spell it out in big letters
that they can
stop
chasing after us and
start
following after you,
following
your platform of justice, righteousness, goodness;
your politics of truth, kindness, mercy;
your plan for healing, peace, oneness;
the courage
to make it clear
that we will not be
charmed,
smarmed,
alarmed,
into going against what you call us to be and do;
the courage
to give our loyalty
to you and
you alone.
O Lord, we thank you because
your clear word
clears away the cobwebs,
refreshes us
with refreshing clarity,
centers us
with centering clarity;
and
guides us;
gives us
identity;
graces us
with certainty;
grants us
the strength
to live counter to our culture,
live up to your high standards,
not live down
to the low standards
of what politics has become;
guards us
from
going wrong.
O Lord, more than a few of us, perhaps,
are feeling
a little rough around the edges,
maybe ragged around the edges more accurate,
or just plain edgy,
boredom or
depression or
isolation
taking its toll,
fuses short,
patience thin,
frustration big.
And so,
soothe us,
calm us,
settle us,
and give us renewed determination to keep doing
the smart thing,
the right thing,
the responsible thing
and trust
that you will see us through.
And we pray for peace, peace on the streets;
let us not
be taken in
by politicians
and extremists from both extremes
pitting police and peaceful protesters
against one another,
and manufacturing
self-serving fear,
but continue
to work with others
to find a way toward justice,
supporting both police and protestors and praying
for their safety.
And we pray
for those who have contracted the coronavirus,
now a political football,
not people.
Let us not
forget them or all those struggling financially.
And in our preoccupation with the virus and
the violence,
let us not forget
all those close to us facing tough battles,
who are shattered,
who are hanging on to hope by only
a thin thread.
Heal, support, comfort them,
and
help them, help us all,
to trust ourselves
to your will
for us.
O Lord, it couldn’t be any clearer,
so clear have you made it,
so big have you spelled it out,
leaving
no doubt,
no doubt at all,
as to what it means
to be yours;
let us make it clear
spell it out with our lives,
leave
no doubt
that we are yours,
and will remain
yours
no matter how chaotic or confusing things are.
The
joy
of that!
Amen.