Becky
Bonham from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) recently shared this beautiful prayer of
lament with me. She wrote it on September 27, 2017, in response to recent
political events and humanitarian crises. Not long after, the city of Edmonton experienced
a terrorist attack.
Prayer of Lament
To
the One who calls us Beloved,
We
bring hurting hearts to you this morning,
Our
fearfulness, and our worry.
Our
anger.
Our
world is not as it should be.
The
ones with power make decisions for their own benefit
In
a show of might,
they
flirt with war and destruction
But
the most desperate among us are left to fend for themselves.
The
proud and the comfortable say,
“Everything
is fine. There is no problem.”
But
those without privilege know better.
They
hunger, they weep, they bleed.
They
wait for your justice to vindicate them – before it’s too late!
In
a world where hate is a virtue and exclusion a way of life
It
is hard to hold on to what unites
It
is tough to find common ground
Our
humanity is lost in the scuffle.
Those
of us who wish for peace forget how to make it
Or
where to begin
And
fall into hopelessness, cynicism or despair
We
too begin to feel powerless
in
the face of widespread suffering and systemic evil
Even
our planet seems ready to crack
under
the pressure of forces that are beyond us
Earthquakes,
hurricanes, wildfires, volcanoes
Nature
groans – and with it, your people.
Come,
Lord Jesus, we pray.
When
will you come?
When
will you make right?
We
are not strong enough, not wise enough, not good enough
To
make peace, to bring healing
But
you are,
You
are the one who planted peace in our hearts
You
are the one who will make it come to pass.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
Strengthen
the bruised reed.
Make
weapons into ploughshares.
Comfort
the weary and heavy-laden.
Make
a home for the homeless.
Still
the waters.
Calm
the storm.
Come,
Lord Jesus, you and your kingdom,
Come.
On
earth as it is in heaven.
Your
will be done.
Amen.
~
written by Becky Bonham for a chapel service at Taylor Seminary in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada.
