Like many Canadians I find myself in a place of sadness
following the senseless violence in our capital city. I resonate with the
voices that lament the sense of loss for our peaceful context. I share the
anxiety of how this act of violence might result in our day to day affairs
being weighted with new forms of fear through heightened security measures.
I feel sad. I feel a loss.
I mourn that the life of another can be disregarded so
easily - and an innocent father is gunned down.
I mourn that the rhetoric of revenge is seen as the best
way to re-establish a sense of calm and confidence.
I mourn that religion has become so tainted that the
Loving Creator can be grossly misrepresented by acts of violence.
I mourn that our global family is divided by systems of
defence and self interest rather than a common commitment of seeking the good
for all.
I pray for mercy. I pray for healing. I pray for peace. I pray that the good in all of us may triumph over the
tendency for evil in each of us.
I don't want people to die having to defend me. I don't want people
to die trying to get the public's attention. I
don't want people to die seeing each other as enemies. Surely as a global
family we can find new and better ways of working for the common good of the
earth and all its inhabitants.
I will mourn for awhile. My prayers will feel heavy for
awhile. My heart will ache for awhile.
May the light of God's love blind hatred and revenge and
give us all a vision for the dawn of a new day filled with the power of a love
for all our neighbours.
A prayer in response to the
events on Wednesday, Oct. 22
Ottawa, Ontario
-adapted from a prayer by pastor Carmen Brubacher, Ottawa Mennonite Church
-adapted from a prayer by pastor Carmen Brubacher, Ottawa Mennonite Church
Our God,
We call you Light of the world,
but today we feel the weight of night.
We call you Wisdom, but today
we have so many unanswered questions.
We call you Prince of Peace,
but today we feel surrounded by violence.
We call on you in our fear, our
disbelief, our sadness, and our helplessness.
Hear our cries.
Hold us as we remember the
sounds, images, and experiences of Wednesday.
Hold the families of all those killed and
injured in our capital city.
Hold families around the world
who experience violence and instability.
Remind us to hold each other as
we gather in our homes, schools and workplaces in the coming days.
May we seek your wisdom as we
try to respond to the questions of our children, which echo our own questions.
Why do people kill each other?
We are people shaped by your
story of peace. May our responses to the events in our capital city be formed and informed by this
identity.
May we seek your light as we
find our way through the dark.
In your mercy, Lord, hear our
prayers.
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