On this day of independence I give thanks for my freedom, and pray for those who are not free: for those in prison or living under oppression, for the poor and exploited, for those robbed of land and culture for the sake of mine, for those who labor under heavy burdens for the sake of my comfort, for those who are imprisoned to satisfy my race’s hunger for superiority, for those who fear for their safety because of their bodies.
I confess I pretend independence from those who suffer, or are different, so I need not care, I need not see them as myself. I repent of my independence. May their unfreedom weigh upon me. May my love of freedom be not glib or abusive. Deepen my gratitude, humility and longing for justice. Deepen my resolve not just to flaunt my own freedom but to work for the freedom of all. For until we all are free, none of us is free. God of life, set us free. Amen.
__________________ Steve Garnaas-Holmes Unfolding Light www.unfoldinglight.net