This work is an inside job as well as outside and I do believe in the power of prayer in this respect, so I’m sharing a personal prayer with you to consider for your own journey.
Dear God,
Please send your light and love to all of those in pain today
Please soften all those who need to receive hard truths and deep healing today
Please bless and empower all those in service of compassion, unity, and community today.
Please soften my heart and my mind to hear the lessons of this tragic act of terrorism
Please open my eyes to where I’ve ignored injustice, racism, and hatred
Please help my mind to clearly label racism, terrorism, and inequality
Please help my heart, mind, and body to recognize and take responsibility for the part I’ve played in keeping systems of oppression and injustice in place.
Please inspire productive real world action in me and through me
Please use my gifts and talents to be a part your plan for justice, equality, and peace for all
Please give me words that heal and uplift
Please give me strength to speak truth to power and the wisdom to know when and what to speak
Please guard me from ambivalence, subtle manipulation, and truth avoidance of my ego
Please make my vision and convictions crystal clear in your light
Please help me take action against all forms of oppression and hatred, while staying centered in compassion and justice.
Please use my privilege to undo systems of privilege
Please help me stand in the love of Christ as a prayerful activist
In the name of Christ I pray, Amen
By the power of my free will I accept all the answers to my prayers, recognizing many will ask me to be uncomfortable, to grow, and to change. And so it is. It is done.