power and prestige in order to stand for justice.
It is tempting to believe that moral compromise is an acceptable—even necessary—part of attaining influence with which to serve the common good. Honestly, we are all already compromised. We can’t pretend our hands are clean. It would be selfish to value preserving some sense of our individual moral goodness over doing everything we can to make systemic changes that would help those most vulnerable.
And yet. This kind of thinking makes it all too easy to ally ourselves with evil, in small, incremental steps.
God, please bless each person who resists the pull of accolades and influence and, instead, is drawn towards equality and compassion. Grant them new opportunities to use their talents, unexpected collaborators, and a sense of peace. Open doors to joyful and surprising places to fulfill their vocations. Amen.42
February 21, 2017
Holy God, I ask you to pour blessings upon Linda Sarsour and Tarek El-Messidi, and all the people who responded to their call to action. These two people acted quickly after a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis was desecrated, creating an online fundraiser to repair the damage and communicate support to the Jewish community.
In a time when hate crimes and religious discrimination are on the rise, and when Muslim communities and the religion of Islam have been targets of hateful rhetoric, it would be understandable if American Muslims were focused on their own difficulties. It would be understandable if the climate of fear made it harder to reach out to neighbors. And yet, these two particular American Muslims, and many others, are rallying around Jewish communities that have been threatened, harassed, and harmed. Perhaps they know that Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are cut from the same vile cloth. Perhaps they know that dividing the population into separate groups taught to fear one another is a well-worn strategy for social control. But it appears—from the statements to the press and from the warm response of other Muslims—to be simply an outward expression of their faith. Raising money to repair a desecrated Jewish cemetery? That’s what being Muslim looks like. These people make me hopeful, God, and increase my own faith. Please protect them and their loved ones; grant them peace and wisdom; let their lights burn bright so that the rest of us might see more clearly. Amen.43
February 22, 2017
Steadfast God, I pray for my friends and neighbors in Kentucky who keep showing up outside events where Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is present. Although Senator McConnell was elected to represent the people of Kentucky, he refuses to have town hall meetings. Instead, he only meets with constituents who pay money to attend RSVP events.
God bless the people who show up for democracy even when they have been disinvited.
Grant them relentless and persistent hope. Give them comfortable shoes, friends willing to watch the kids, and coworkers who help arrange schedules. Bless them with energy and laughter, with solidarity and Spirit. Amen.44
February 23, 2017
Loving God, I pray for every pastor, youth leader, Christian educator, and Sunday school teacher who is preaching and teaching about what faith looks like in our current political situation. Every one who is reflecting on the consistent biblical mandate to care for the refugee. Every one who is reflecting on the grace-filled call to right relationship and the sinfulness of racism. Every one who is reflecting on prophetic calls to justice and mercy. It is always easier to preach and teach a weaker gospel. But it is faithful to tell the truth of who you are and who we are called to be.
Bless these Christian leaders. Give them perseverance in the face of complaints that religion ought not be political, as these complaints ignore both the gospel and the reality that silence is also a political statement. Grant them insight, patience, and good metaphors. Bless them with courage and humility in equal measure.
Triune God, I ask you not just to bless these leaders individually, but also to bless them in relation, giving them strength in community. Give them each, and all together, the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
February 24, 2017
God of Revelation, I pray for Marty Baron. I only know about this person through the work produced by the Boston Globe while he was editor (from the Spotlight team reporting on sexual abuse within the Catholic church, for instance) and, more recently, through the excellent journalism of the Washington Post on political issues since he became editor there in 2013. Through his work, I know him to be a leader in journalism in the United States, and someone who is not easily intimidated.
But God, you know Marty Baron completely. So I ask you to bless this man with whatever he needs to support and empower investigative journalism. You know what fuels his work—coffee or anger or good music in the background or prayer or carbohydrates. Whatever it is, PLEASE GIVE HIM SOME. And spread that blessing around. Pour your grace on every editor in every news outlet that cares about factual accuracy. Somewhere today the next great editors of the Boston Globe, the New York Times, and the Washington Post are cutting their teeth on local stories in small towns around the country. Please bless them, too. Amen.45
February 25, 2017
Faithful God, please bless all the community organizers who are working to resist the current administration’s harmful policies. Bless those who have been doing this for decades and those who are new to this vocation.
Some of us are used to thinking there are grown-ups in charge and they will do their jobs. Others are used to thinking that the government has never been interested in their well-being. Community organizers take up the task of convincing the first group that their imagined political savior is not coming; and convincing the second group that their own political activism can make a difference.
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