An Inauguration Day Prayer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nLike many people, I am not looking forward to January 20.\u00a0 I am having difficulty celebrating the peaceful transfer of power to a person who denied a valid election and sought to overthrow the government and undermine democracy, and whose behavior since election day has that of a bully and thug. Yet, like the Psalmist, I believe that we must pray in our orientation and disorientation even as we hope for new orientation.<\/p>\n
Thomas of Celano, Francis of Assisi\u2019s first biographer, spoke of Francis\u2019 life as being a prayer. As I ponder Francis\u2019 spirituality and the history of contemplative activists, I wonder if my own life can be a prayer, not only in deeds but in the words and in the meditations of my heart. As I pray for my nation and the planet, I realize that, as the spiritual says, I too am \u201cstandin\u2019 in the need of prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n
I must pray my anxiety, uncertainty, alienation, and anger.\u00a0 I must take them to God, not out of denial or resignation, but to make them, along with my highest aspirations, somehow holy and to activate protest that is prayerful as well as realistic. To be whole, I must see all the currents of life, my own and the United States\u2019, as opportunities for contemplation, compassion, and challenge.<\/p>\n
I do not pray for Donald Trump\u2019s success. For I believe that his success will be at the expense of planetary health, our democratic institutions, and the well-being of the least of these. Nor do I pray for our nation\u2019s success any more than I would pray for the success of any other nation.\u00a0 All God\u2019s children are loved and need to be the object of my love and ethical consideration regardless of national identity. I pray for our nation\u2019s alignment with God\u2019s vision even if this means sacrifice and humility to heal the Earth.<\/p>\n
The moral and spiritual arcs aim toward justice, and these are more important and more inclusive than any national success.\u00a0 We can pray \u201cGod bless America, and God protect our troops,\u201d as President Biden did, recognizing that our nation is blessed to be a blessing to our citizens and the citizens of other lands, and not for our self-aggrandizement or imperialism.\u00a0 I stand with Abraham Lincoln, who stated that I pray that we be on God\u2019s side, rather than God be on our side.\u00a0 This will only happen if our president and citizenry, and that I, turn to the better angels of our nature and not retribution, alienation, destruction, and isolation.\u00a0 I pray for a conversion of heart for the incoming president, a sense of contrition, and an awakening of compassion. I too need these things. \u00a0Nations matter, and borders matter, but there is only one world and world loyalty supersedes personal and national self-interest.<\/p>\n
Our prayers must take us beyond ourselves and our interest, including our national interest, to turn to God\u2019s will, God\u2019s vision of Shalom, the Peaceable Realm, for us and the world.\u00a0 And so, with humility, a sense of imperfection, privilege, and bias, my prayer on inauguration day:<\/p>\n
God of all peoples, nations, and faiths,<\/p>\n
Awaken and enlighten us to the better angels of our nature,<\/p>\n
Challenge our self-interest and nationalism<\/p>\n
With your vision of one earth and one humanity.<\/p>\n
Awaken us to the spirit of humility and repentance<\/p>\n
For the evils we have committed as a nation<\/p>\n
And our complicity with evil,<\/p>\n
even as we try to be faithful to your realm.<\/p>\n
Give our leaders the spirit of humility,<\/p>\n
Of broken hearts and contrition,<\/p>\n
Remembering that God is God and they aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Give our leaders a sense of the whole<\/p>\n
And the ability to turn from the love of power<\/p>\n
To the power of love.<\/p>\n
Let those who claim to be Christian,<\/p>\n
Be Christian in caring for the poor,<\/p>\n
Liberating the captives, providing healing for the sick,<\/p>\n
And proclaiming God\u2019s Jubilee of justice.<\/p>\n
Let us be strong and fight for justice,<\/p>\n
Protecting our borders,<\/p>\n
But seeing holiness in those who come from other lands<\/p>\n
Recognizing that no one is alien to you, O God,<\/p>\n
And the stranger and foreigner is your beloved child<\/p>\n
Bearing your divine image.<\/p>\n
Let us follow the law but let the law be guided by compassion<\/p>\n
And Justice for the weak as well as strong.<\/p>\n
Remind us that we are not alone on this planet.<\/p>\n
That we depend on nature and the non-human world<\/p>\n
And the goodwill of other nations.<\/p>\n
Let us live more simply to ensure the lives of our fellow humans<\/p>\n
And the non-human world.<\/p>\n
Let us abandon greed and embrace generosity<\/p>\n
Sacrificing comfort and wealth for the greater good.<\/p>\n
Let us live gracefully and gratefully<\/p>\n
Seeing ourselves as but one nation,<\/p>\n
Not the only nation on this good Earth.<\/p>\n
Let our leaders welcome protest<\/p>\n
And the correction of prophets<\/p>\n
And be willing to change course<\/p>\n
Putting God\u2019s vision of Shalom<\/p>\n
Ahead of self-interest, profit, and privilege.<\/p>\n
We are one and we are many,<\/p>\n
And the many need oneness,<\/p>\n
And unity must be manifold<\/p>\n
For our nation to grow.<\/p>\n
Let every color, culture, language, and person<\/p>\n
Be affirmed in the wondrous rainbow of divine love,<\/p>\n
Give us, each of us, courage and faith for the journey<\/p>\n
And let us see beyond our hate and fear.<\/p>\n
And let our light shine, giving light to the world,<\/p>\n
The Light of love, the light of partnership,<\/p>\n
The light of reconciliation and forgiveness,<\/p>\n
The light of a healed Earth,<\/p>\n
And a world in which laughter of children<\/p>\n
And contentment of the aged<\/p>\n
Crown our good with full personhood<\/p>\n
From sea to shining sea.<\/p>\n
Amen.<\/p>\n
+++<\/p>\n
Bruce Epperly is Theologian in Residence at Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ, Bethesda, MD (https:\/\/www.westmorelanducc.org\/<\/a>) and a professor in theology and spirituality at Wesley Theological Seminary. He is the author of over 80 books including: \u201cHomegrown Mystics: Restoring the Soul of Our Nation through the Healing Wisdom of America\u2019s Mystics\u201d (Amazon.com: Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America\u2019s Visionaries: 9781625249142: Epperly, Bruce: Books<\/a>) \u201cJesus: Mystic, Healer, and Prophet \u201c(Jesus: Mystic, Healer, and Prophet: Epperly, Bruce: 9781625248732: Amazon.com: Books<\/a>), Saving Progressive Christianity to Save the Planet\u201d( Saving Progressive Christianity to Save the Planet: Epperly, Bruce G: 9781631999215: Amazon.com: Books<\/a>), and his upcoming book, due out in February, \u201cGod of the Growing Edge: Whitehead and Thurman on Theology, Spirituality and Social Change.\u201d<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An Inauguration Day Prayer Like many people, I am not looking forward to January 20.\u00a0 I am having difficulty celebrating the peaceful transfer of power to a person who denied a valid election and sought to overthrow the government and undermine democracy, and whose behavior since election day has that of a bully and thug. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":213,"featured_media":203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[147,1691,1682,1697,1694],"class_list":["post-6503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-contemplative-prayer","tag-hope-and-fear","tag-inauguration-day","tag-prayer-for-the-nation","tag-self-interest-to-world-loyalty"],"yoast_head":"\n
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