May 16, 2023 | www.barbarawilliams-skinner.com
Almighty God, we praise your holy and righteous name and thank you for being our rock in a weary land; and our place of safety in troubled times.
Lord, God, you created a world filled with exquisite beauty, matchless love, and incomparable harmony, then assigned humans to shepherd it so all creation might flourish and thrive. Yet, in the rebellion of human sin, we have stained your magnificent world with hate, greed, violence, racism, and indifference to human suffering. Unchecked self-interested quest for power, wealth, and privilege leads too many among the majority population to shamelessly block or remove any advancements by Americans of color.
So, we look to you, O God, and, in the words of King Jehoshaphat, ask the question: “O Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.” (2 Chronicles 20: 6).
Remind us today of your promise not to remove us from these times of escalating violence, lawlessness, and bigotry but to be our strength through it.
Wherever there is injustice, please give us the courage to stand up, stare down evil acts of the mighty, and use our power to protect the vulnerable and weak.
Where there is bigotry, help us to build bridges of love and understanding across every dividing line, joining with allies of conscience who love God more than money, power, and privilege. Where there is violence, give us the strength to show up as peacemakers in the spirit of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
And, where there is darkness, remind us that we are the “light of the world” and that the role of light is to scatter the darkness wherever it exists. We pray, Lord God, in your matchless, mighty, and magnificent name above all names. AMEN.
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