The following prayer was written for the Sunday Morning Services at the Lancaster Church of the Brethren, Lancaster, PA where I served as liturgist on Sunday May 16, 2004.The theme for the service was "We are not alone."
- The Old Professor
A Prayer for Peace
Creator God, we thank you for not abandoning us to our own humanity. You sent Jesus, who showed us a better way to live. For his birth, we gave him a dirty stable. While giving his love to all he met, we gave him a cross. Forgive us for not giving him the very best room in the house, our hearts.
While we were yet strangers, you showed us hospitality. Jesus taught us how to live in harmony with each other. Yet we live in much disharmony. Give us the courage to love each other. Give us the strength to show hospitality not just to our friends and not just to the stranger, but even to our enemy. Make us beacons of hope in a very dark world.
Sometimes the cycle of violence seems to be accelerating out of our control. When will we learn that violence only begets more violence? We often see the kind of abuse humans wield on each other. Our hearts are heavy with the knowledge that any one of us is capable of abusing others when filled with enough rage.
Not only is the foreign policy of our country based on violence, but our own personal relationships are also fraught with possibilities for violence. In many homes, even little children are in danger. We need to search for the ways of peace. The survival of our families, our communities, our nation, and even our world depend on finding that pathway to peace.
You sent us Jesus to show us that way, and the Holy Spirit to guide us on the journey. We need your continued presence so that all who are troubled will find the peace of Christ.
When Jesus submitted to the cross instead of rising up in revolt, he broke the cycle of violence that always ends in death for so many. When he forgave his torturers, he destroyed the wall of hatred between the persecutor and the persecuted. We thank you for coming to us through the life of Jesus. Come Quickly then Lord Jesus. Amen.