Prayer for Today

 

This prayer of peace comes from Alan Paton in South Africa.  Pray these words slowly with me:

 

O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others
Open my ears that I may hear their cries;
Open my heart so that they need not be without support;
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,
Nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
And use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears
That I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee.

 

Part of what I hear in this prayer is that peace is an embodied experience.  Remember from yesterday, shalom is the alignment of your whole self.  Are your ears closed to certain people or places?  Are you turning away from certain situations?  Sometimes we turn away for protection.  We can turn away when we don’t feel safe, seen, and soothed.  We may close off our ears and eyes, even as we stay physically present in a moment.

 

Which words of the prayer above caught your attention?  Were there words that caused your shoulders to tense or your stomach to turn?  Were there parts of the prayer your inner defense attorney objected to?  Were there moments your shy soul said, “Amen”?  Re-read the prayer again at some point today to see how the words land in you at that time.  And may the peace that surpasses understanding hold you every hour this day.  Amen.