a blessing for ordinary people in a world of pain
O God, do you see us? Do you hear us? Our world is being torn apart and there is no relief.
O God, help us! help us all!
In this pandemic of pain and sickness and poverty and violence and chaos and fear,
We are ALL
your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free!
God have mercy
Christ have mercy
Spirit have mercy
My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” Psalm 42:3
God have mercy
Christ have mercy
Spirit have mercy
Jesus said: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. Luke 4:19
Blessed are we, the ordinary people,
who call to you in the midst of powerlessness and pain.
and say: remember your mercy, O Lord!
Remember Your unfailing love, Your faithfulness that reaches to the clouds!
Blessed are we who sit by the waters and weep, and stretch our hands to You,
and remember that You came to give us life.
We the ordinary people, the mothers, the fathers,
those with work and those without,
those in high places and low, free us! Give us hope!
Grant us strength to lift our heads above the chaos and remember we still have agency,
we are the ordinary, and yet moment by moment we can still choose!
Blessed are we know the dignity of doing the one decent thing that is still possible,
who choose to notice the one beautiful thing that is still shining amid all the terrible,
and receive it as evidence of things unseen, that government of Love
that stands arm-in-arm with faith and hope,
in the ordinary lives of you and i.
Look long, for the one beautiful shining thing. Let it speak. Then share it!
Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5
