A Prayer for a Larger Perspective

Good and Gracious God,

Doing “Thy” will
is sometimes a more difficult task
than we care to admit to ourselves.
Our humanity has been hardwired
for self-preservation
and our sometimes limited view
of the world
convinces us that self-preservation
can only happen through acts
of self-centeredness –
looking out for numero uno.

When that is our world perspective
it can be far too difficult
to see past
our self-imposed self-importance
and we find that compassion
becomes limited to actions
that are themselves limited by
what they will cost us –
financially,
physically,
emotionally,
spiritually.

Help us learn to extend ourselves.
Help us step out of our
all-too-human comfort zones
and risk our self-importance.
May we see the value
of all human life
and not just our own.

May we never let go
of taking care of ourselves
but may we elevate
taking care of others
to the same realm.

May we lose
our sometimes limited worldview
and replace it with the view
you see,
a picture of how we are connected,
a picture of how care for other
is ultimately care for self.

Let us see that it all ties back
to one word,
“love.”

Amen.
 

 
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