Praying the Serenity Prayer in an Unjust World

There are two extremes we can fall into in a world of persistent, unrelenting sin. We can become so overly optimistic about the possibilities of change that we face despair when the world does not respond as we had hoped. When we run into the brick wall of reality and the limits of our own power, as it were. (I realized this in listening to a recent episode of the Christianity Today podcast Quick to Listen, in a discussion about Reinhold Niebuhr. This excellent discussion, which provided a jumping-off point for my reflections here is something you should all go listen to.)

But at the opposite end of the spectrum is the cynicism that develops when we encounter the sin in this world. It can lead us to apathy, to the belief that since sin and evil are stubborn, ongoing realities that no human has managed to vanquish yet, that we shouldn’t even try.

Reinhold Niebuhr, as the Quick to Listen podcast discussed, held the tension in the middle. This is perfectly summed up in “The Serenity Prayer,” a prayer most likely written by Niebuhr:

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

I find myself thinking of this prayer again and again. The seeking of wisdom to know the difference between what I can change and what I cannot is necessary. It is not always immediately obvious which is which and a regular prayer for help to know this is needed.

The prayer also involves a great deal of acceptance of my limits while simultaneously maintaining engaged in what I can do, without giving up or becoming apathetic.

It involves surrender to God, knowing that ultimately it is his action that will make the world fully right. But it is also not sitting on my hands while I await that destiny. Rather, it is finding peace in the midst of limited results, peace instead of despair, because I know God will one day make things right.

And there is also permission to embrace joy. To bring in the smell of my sweet child’s hair, to feel the warm sun on my face, to laugh for a moment, to allow myself the luxury of being immersed in a great story. Because the weight of the world doesn’t have to rest on my shoulders, I can embrace joy.

God, grant me the serenity to walk in the spirit of this prayer, to dynamically engage this sinful world and seek justice, to love the people in it, to do what I can to make a difference, and to go to sleep at night in peace, knowing that you will make it new one day.

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