Prayer for Today

 

Which of the prayers so far this week did you find most helpful?  Remember, there is no right answer; in fact, you may not have liked either poem/prayer from the past three days.  If the peace prayers of the first three days stirred you, I pray these words might hold and help. This prayer comes from John Birch:

 

We are molded, each one of us,
in the image of God,
and within our souls, there is a fingerprint
none can erase.
We pray for those who have no regard
for anyone but self,
who put no value on human life.
For nations and individuals who abuse and kill.
We are not called to be judge or jury,
but we are called to be agents of change,
and if the butterfly that flaps its wings
should be our attitude to others
then so be it, Lord,
and may the waves this generates
somewhere within the world
reach into the hearts and souls of those
for whom we pray, and reveal to them
how precious are those
for whom they have no love,
and how precious are they
who now bring tears to the eyes of God.

 

I find the image of “tears to the eyes of God” to be profound and powerful.  What makes God cry right now?  Are there ways that I might be contributing to God’s sorrow or lament?  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.  May the preciousness of God’s gaze be felt in your life this day.  Amen.