by Liz Niehoff
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayers.
What a week it has been.
With shootings, deaths, continued uncertainty
and periods of wandering in the desert
with many searching for a more permanent-temporary home,
This week has brought it all.
It has brought the final roll call of brothers in blue,
more raising of arms and words between your sons and daughters,
and even the burning of another one of your gathering places in St. Louis,
a sanctuary for all those in need.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear the cries of your children,
brokenhearted on bended knee.
Merciful father-mother,
Draw close to your creation
Wrap your protecting and guiding arms around it,
As only you know what is just and right in such a time as this.
Give us grace and discernment,
Vision to truth and wisdom,
Words to comfort,
Presence to nurture and cultivate where bonds are broken.
God of the Resurrection,
Hear our prayers for reconciliation and peace.
Soften our hearts to love the beauty in our brothers and sisters,
As we are all created in your image,
And you called each and every one of us Good.
Help us to love gently,
Show mercy first and foremost,
And stand up against injustice.
Lord of Liberation,
Lord who mends broken bodies,
Lord who weeps with his broken and wounded communities,
In your mercy,
Hear our prayers.
Amen.
Liz Niehoff is a New York native who has found her way to the rumbly city by the Bay, San Francisco, in order to serve as a hospital chaplain. Currently, Liz is discerning with God what comes next. She just finished her CPE residency at UCSF Medical Center working with heart and lung transplant patients, and is now seeking a new call as a staff chaplain.