Prayers For All of Us To Leave Hatred Behind and Walk in Love and Respect For Each Other

 On this Sunday after we’ve had some time to reflect on the unnamed graves of Indigenous children on residential school land in Kamloops BC and the horrific running down of a Muslim family in London, Ontario and the increase in expressions of hatred and violence against those of Chinese descent locally we pause to pray.  I’m grateful for those who are able to give us words to offer to the Lord.

Loving God, cleanse our hearts of all stain from sin and brokenness, that we may walk with you along your holy way. Purify our minds, that we may be guided by your holy word. Clear our eyes, that we may see the goodness you have created. Open our ears that we may hear your voice. Make our souls one with yours, that we may worship you in spirit and in truth, and love you with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. May our hearts always beat as one with yours, through your Son, Jesus. Amen.

O God, We praise you for your gifts that surround us – for the gift of the land that gives us food, shelter and water; for the gift of the sun that gives warmth and light to all that grows; for the gifts of the moon and stars which you have arranged for your glory; for the gifts of language and culture, through which your peoples praise you

Come upon us, Holy Spirit and open our eyes to the injustices brought against our Indigenous Peoples, their language and culture in Canada’s Indian Residential Schools. For crimes of hatred inflicted on the Muslim community, not just in this one very public act of murder but the many expressions of it in our communities, we ask for forgiveness and a softening of the hearts of those who act with hatred.  For members of the Chinese community who have suffered many words and actions of violence and racism in these past months, we ask for Your healing and comfort for those who have been directly attacked and the many who have been brought to that uneasy awareness that they are not safe on our streets simply because of the colour of their skin.

Give us repentant hearts that ache with sorrow for violence against all members of visible minorities and their children.  Give us determined hearts that refuse to stand by when the dignity of these precious brothers and sisters is trampled. Give us flaming hearts that burn with love for you, who come to us in every human face in every language and culture in every gift of creation.

Make us stewards of one another’s dignity, of one another’s safety, of one another’s lands, of one another’s right to a cultural identity: as unique peoples, as gifts to the human family, and as your beloved children.

We now use the words of Jesus as He prayed for unity

Jesus, looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your son so that the son may glorify you, I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world.

They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one. Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."  John 17 selections

We conclude with this blessing:

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else . . .  May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.  1 Thessalonians 3:12-13