Prayer of Lament and Memorial Day Poem - May 2022
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Chai Chat - May 2022
A Prayer of Lament and Grief
and a Memorial Day Poem
Join Me In a Prayer of Lament
Happy Memorial Day, friends!
We’ve experienced a horrific wave of recent tragedies in Buffalo, Laguna Hills, Uvalde, and just today, we heard reports of another shooting in Chattanooga. Below is a prayer I wrote in response to these tragedies as we grieve, weep with those who weep, and cry out to God for help and hope to mend all that is wrong.
A Prayer of Lament and Grief over the recent shootings
Oh Lord, at times like these, we come to you with tears of grief, weeping for those who have lost their lives in senseless acts of violence, grieving with those left behind. Lord, innocent people out shopping for groceries, worshipping, and little ones attending school—we have no words to understand and comprehend the pain and evil that resulted in the tragedies of these lost lives, snuffed out so quickly and on what seemed like an ordinary day.
Lord, we are heartbroken with the news. We ask ourselves, “What next? How long? What can we do to survive? When will this end? How can we make it stop? When will innocent people stop dying? How can we be safe?”
We have no answers. We are shocked (and yet as often as these happen, we are becoming less so), stricken, and in pain. Help us not to grow numb. We need you to help us get up and live. We need you to help us move on with hope, even when we don’t understand any of this. Show us how to assist, help, give, serve, how to mourn with those who mourn, how to move in a way that brings healing and peace.
Please put peace in our hearts. Still the hands and thoughts of those who would do evil; keep them from acting, spoil those plans and prevent them from occurring. Move in mighty ways to protect your creation, human beings made in your image. Heal us, God, heal our land, and restore us.
Lord, keep us near you. Remind us of all that is good and true. Show us joy and goodness in a world with stripes of darkness. Show us your beauty and your light. Enable us to be light for those around us. Show us, again and again, that goodness will overcome.
Amen.
If you’d like some more helpful prayers, here are 15 Prayers for a Violent World that are brief and so good.
Memorial Day Poem
Today is Memorial Day, and I have a poem to share in honor of those who gave their lives in service for this country. I am an immigrant to the U.S., and while I know this country isn’t perfect, I am appreciative and deeply grateful for the life I have here.
Lanterns
They sleep peacefully here,
hiding silvery secrets
under thick, worn skin
A whisper emerges
from shadows,
among rows of granite
Quivering souls— now stilled
The spirit of outstretched
hands shakes in all seasons
I feel the grip of hope,
salute the courageous,
these lanterns
whose lights still burn
these everleaves,
stark and tall, like the tree.
© Prasanta Verma
Inspired by the poem “American Beech Tree” by Patricia Cook
(Photo credit: cogolman via Pixabay)
Dear brothers and sisters, if you are in the U.S., may you find peace today on this holiday. Hold your loved ones closer, name your blessings, and give thanks for them. Thank you for joining me in a prayer of lament today!
Warmly,
Prasanta
What did you think? How was praying this prayer of lament? I’d love to hear from you! Hit reply to this email to send me a direct message.
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Until the next Chai Chat!
Make it a lovely one,
Prasanta
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