Litany for Peace in a Time of War


In this time of crisis and war, let us commit ourselves to prayer and pray to the God of all creation to bring peace to our world, peace to our nation, and peace to our hearts.

Lord of the nations, the horrors of war stand before us in graphic ways that disturb our daily lives.  Fear grips us for our personal safety and the safety of those in harm’s way.  Sorrow washes over us for the seeming necessity of war and the losses that come with it.  Opinions divide us and leave us confused in the face of an uncertain future.  You alone, O God of Creation, who in the beginning brought order into chaos, light into darkness – you alone can help us in these days of crisis and war. 
We, your people, cry to you, O Lord!

Come to the aid of nations and leaders who need your guidance.  Come to the aid of those standing in harm’s way.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Come to the aid of our military and their families. Come to the aid of all who need your assuring and loving presence.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Strengthen us in faith and calm the fears within us that are many.  Help us to trust in you for our lives and our future.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Forgive us for our sin, both corporate and individual, especially for our failings as peacemakers.  Forgive us for the divisions among us.  Renew our spirits and increase our resolve to pray fervently for peace.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Protect us from any evil that surrounds us.  Lift the hearts of the sorrowful.  Bring healing to the sick and the wounded.  Comfort the dying and the bereaved with your love.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Above all, give us hope and give us peace on earth, lasting peace.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

God of peace, God of love, fill our hearts and our minds with the peace and love that only you can give.  We, your people, ardently cry to you, O Lord.  You are our answer.  You are our hope.  Come to our aid.  In Jesus’ name.
Amen

Gratitude.

You know me. I'm usually a little overzealous and all-politics-all-the-time. But I can't be that way, today. Today, it can't be about use and abuse of references to 9/11 for political gain. Today, it can't be about my distaste for those who fail to see the brotherhood of the major Abrahamic religions. Today, it can't be academic.

10 years ago today was one of the worst days in American history. Thousands of people lost their lives, their livelihoods, their families, their loved ones, their homes, their spirits. Fortunately I have to work all day and therefore will not even have the chance to be bombarded with images and videos and sounds all over the news.

It's weird because 10 years ago today I was 13 years old. I was getting ready for like, week two of 8th grade. My life was not about politics or religion or activism just yet. My life was about walking to the bus stop and laughing my way to middle school with my best friends.

My parents are not news watchers. Never have been. That morning, a friend of my mom's called and said to turn on the tv. I was sitting at the table eating breakfast before getting ready for school. I have this memory of seeing the second plane hit. But I also don't remember knowing what it meant or what was happening. My mom sent me to school, and I told all my friends at the bus stop what had happened. We didn't know what it meant. A woman jogged by our bus stop and called out "Jesus Loves You!" to us as we waited. We didn't know why.

We didn't know about terrorism. We didn't know about radical Islam. We didn't know about radical Christianity, really, either. We didn't know what this meant.

I remember getting to my first period history class and watching the news for the whole period. I don't remember if we did anything in any of my classes that day. I recall watching the news.

AMERICA UNDER ATTACK, it said on every station.

Still, we didn't know what it meant.

I remember watching President George W. Bush speak to us. I remember, over the course of the days following 9/11 that words like "terror" and "axis of evil" and "weapons of mass destruction" flowed out of his mouth and into our living rooms. I remember being told that this was not a war on Islam and would never be a war on Islam. I still don't know what that meant.

What I am going to say today instead of anything about the GOP or about Islamophobia or about blame and conspiracy and all of the stuff that comes up when we talk about 9/11, is that today will always remind me to be grateful.

I am grateful, today, that nobodyI love has been taken from me in an act of terrorism, domestic or international. This may seem like something rather specific to be grateful for, but there are thousands of people in this country who cannot say the same. And I am thinking of them, today.

I am thinking of them and I am thinking of every member of my family and those friends of mine that are my family and how it would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me to lose even a single one of them. To lose you.

Today is not about waving American flags or holding rallies or even about preaching a certain way. For me, today is about falling to my knees in tears, thanking my God that my family is whole. That my heart is whole.

Today I will pray for everyone who lost anyone or anything in any act of terrorism anywhere in the world. And I will never stop praying. And I will never stop being grateful.