Holy One, Loving Presence,
you who are Life and Peace,
we are fragile, and often afraid.
We fall so easily.
Hold us.
We are at the mercy
of strangers who are angry
and strangers who are merciful.
May we be merciful strangers.
For those who have watched over us
we give you humble thanks;
and for those who have meant us harm
we grant deep forgiveness.
We confess that we too are the angry ones;
we too are destroyers.
Forgive us, and make gentle our hearts.
We confess that we excuse our violence,
saying that it keeps us free;
but you alone are our freedom.
Keep us free from fear, free from bitterness,
free from hardened hearts.
Be our safety, our security.
You alone, God, be our strength and our hope.
Be our future, and our freedom.
You who hold us in your gentle arms
hold us with all people.
May we be one in your love,
one in our flesh, one in our living,
one in our dying.
You whose heart holds all sadness,
keep your arms open.
We all are so easily broken.
Hold us.
Holy Peace, may we be at peace in you.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
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