A Prayer for Charleston

O God, great is the misery that has come upon our nation and the world;

Our cares overwhelm us, and we do not know what to do.

O God, be gracious to us and help us. Grant us strength to bear what is taking place in the world and in our land this day, and let not fear rule over us.

And God, we pray for the eyes to see the seeds of racism and discrimination in our own hearts.

God forgive us for participating in and perpetuating a system that continues to oppress your precious children of color,

May our eyes be opened, our hearts be broken, and our lives poured out as an offering of healing and reconciliation to those whom we, through our indifference, inaction, and privilege, have marginalized for so long.

That we may at last see and end to the vicious cycle of systemic racism, and your justice and equity flowing like a mighty rolling river in our world through us.

We ask, O God, that you give us a zeal that insists on acceptance and commitment that endures in non-violence

and a patience that works for your coming;

and teach us to hate only our tribalism and prejudice which separate us from those different to us.

O God , the father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you.

We entrust to your care, O God, the nine precious lives who have died due to this act of terrorism. May they go forth from this world embraced in your abiding love. May they rest in peace and rise in the glory of your eternal home, where grief and misery are banished, and light and joy abide.

Wrap the community of Mother Emmanuel AME Church in your love.

Let them hear: “Come to me you who suffer and are burdened and I will give you rest.”

Give them perseverance to continue to stand in the face of this great evil, and be a light to their community, our nation, and the world, witnessing to the Truth that hate will not overcome love and that racism will not have the last word.

O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect.

Good and gracious God, who loves and delights in all people, we stand in awe before You, knowing that the spark of life within each person on earth is the spark of your divine life.

Differences among cultures and races are multicolored manifestations of Your Light.

May our hearts and minds be open to celebrate similarities and differences among our sisters and brothers. We place our hopes for harmony in our committed action and in Your Presence in our Neighbor.

O Great Christ, who reached across the ethnic boundaries of Samaritan, Roman and Jew and who offered fresh sight to the blind and freedom to captives,

help us to break down the barriers in our community,

enable us to see the reality of racism and bigotry,

and free us to challenge and uproot it

from ourselves, our society and our world.

In the name of Love,

Amen

Adapted From:

http://paxchristiusa.org/2014/07/22/prayer-a-prayer-for-peace-and-an-end-to-violence/

http://www.sistersofmercy.org/resources/prayer-the-elimination-of-racism/

https://faithjustice.wordpress.com/2007/09/25/prayer-for-an-end-to-racism-2/

http://www.thediocese.net/Customer-Content/WWW/CMS/files/September11_peacevigil.pdf