O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From the Book of Common Prayer
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"...work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth."
Sometimes, when reading the news or taking part in the Prayers of the People or examining my own personal chaos, I circle around the lip of something like a muted hopelessness.
OK, honestly, sometimes I dive right into that sucker and swim the shit out of it.
Still: two things. The first is how insanely thankful I am that God makes order out of chaos. It's kind of his stock and trade. Trying on despair over the state of the world's affairs (over my affairs) is truly the equivalent of trying on ill-fitting pants-- fugly, safety yellow skinny jeans that the Gap claims will make my spring wardrobe but don't even flatter the dressing room door.
The second is that it would seem I have a place in that reordering of creation, since I'm asking God to dismantle my basest human tendencies and rebuild them for the good.
Help me not stand in the way of that effort, God-- just for today. If there must be saftey yellow, make it some kind of virtual / spiritual hardhat so I can get out there in your Construction Zone and haul pipe.
Can we do it? YES WE CAN!
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