Holy One,

As we witness, process, and respond
to the ongoing crisis in our country,
the violence at the Capitol
and its ugly veins spread through our midst,
we lift to you all that is on our hearts:
rage, sorrow, uncertainty, fear.

We believe that you are a powerful force--
the most powerful force in the universe--
moving all in your wake toward justice and love.
And, still, we find it difficult to understand and to trust
when such evil continues to grow and fester under your watch.

Ground us in your presence,
the life that you've infused into our every breath.

Ground us in the goodness of the world,
beauty in the evergreens of winter,
warmth in the greeting of a loved one.

May these be our foundation,
steadying us,
fortifying us,
reassuring us:

We are not alone,
nor unprepared,
for the call, the road, the work
of being your people of peace and truth and light in this world.

Amen.

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension. It is the presence of justice.” — Martin Luther King Jr.