“There are none so blind as those who will not see” – attributed to John Heywood, 1546. A response to the Umpqua massacre of September, 2015
I pray, O God, for those of squandered chances,
(if mine remain available and plentiful.)
I pray for those with withered hopes,
(if mine remain consistently fresh.)
I pray for those without the means to self-sustain,
(as long as I remain winsome and productive.)
I pray for lives, untethered,
(if mine blissfully carries on.)
I pray for the lonely and un-gathered,
(while on my iPhone, among friends.)
I pray for hearts in atrophy,
(as long as I remain emotionally nourished.)
I pray for he whose place is gouged, whose work, ravaged,
(if I remain safe among the secure and blessed.)
I pray for a church, united,
(if it doesn’t cause me discomfort.)
I pray for the addicted,
(as long as no one checks my history.)
I pray in gratitude for my wife,
(as long as she stays pretty and polished.)
I pray for the poor and emaciated,
(while eating prosciutto and gruyère in my car.)
I pray for others to “find Jesus,”
(assuming I don’t have to forego anything.)
Most of all, God of life,
I pray for an end to all the killings,
(if it doesn’t ask me to quit worshipping the means of their demise.)
Thanks be to God.
innerwoven 
Ouch — it hurts to see the “truth” of my faith being exposed in this raw fashion. But YES — this is often how I see my foibles. “As long as it doesn’t disrupt the status quo — and ask me to step out of my comfort zone”, aye?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed, Alan. I write this as pin prick to my own bruised conscience, my own swollen ego. I cannot, I do not, squirm out from under the spotlight of God’s seeking love here but am just as complicit in so many ways. Lord, have mercy!
LikeLike
If I was born 808 years ago, I’m dang sure I’d be a faithful follower of St. Francis of Assisi, just from the prayer / benediction I recalled today:
Blessing (attributed as a Franciscan benediction)
May God bless us with discomfort
at easy answers, half-truths,
and superficial relationships,
so that we may live
deep within our heart.
May God bless us with anger
at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people,
so that we may work for
justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless us with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain,
rejection, hunger and war,
so that we may reach out our hand
to comfort them and
to turn their pain to joy.
And may God bless us
with enough foolishness
to believe that we can
make a difference in the world,
so that we can do
what others claim cannot be done
to bring justice and kindness
to all our children and the poor.
Amen.
LikeLike
Yes, I’ve always loved this prayer.
LikeLike