A Prayer for the People of Japan

Last updated on: September 17, 2014 at 2:26 pm by Mark Sandlin

A Prayer for the People of Japan 2014-09-17T14:26:42-05:00 Mark Sandlin

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Prayer, Japan, tragedy, earthquake, tsunami

Good and gracious God,

Our words fail…
they fail to adequately describe the events in Japan.
They fail to express the depth of our sympathy.
They fail to encapsulate the immensity of the tragedy.
They fail to contain the breadth of our emotions.
They fail to convey the commiseration in our souls.

Yet, we fling these deficient vessels toward you.
Because we must.

We fling our words of concern, of care, of compassion
towards you,
even though they, at times, feel remarkably inefficient –
even though they, at times, are bumbling and reckless –
even though they, at times, are a poor attempt
to divulge the sorrows of our very souls.

We fling them because we must.
We fling them because we know that you
do not measure the worthiness of the vessel,
but look to the sincerity of the messenger.

So, we groan our prayer.
We groan for the people of Japan,
and all the people of the Pacific,
faced with this tragedy.
We groan from the depths of our souls,
bypassing the words that fail us
and reaching into the language of our spirits.

Hear our prayers, our God.
Inspire us to be a part of your response to this tragedy.
Comfort us and those effected
in the knowledge that,
through your people,
and in relationship with you,
you can weave something beautiful
out of the tattered mess we have before us.

Grant peace to those who have passed from this life,
comfort to those they have left behind,
strength to those who will be recovering from this for years to come,
and wisdom to the leaders
whose responsibility it will be to guide their people back from the brink of disaster.

May we trust in the new life
of which this time of year brings.
May we trust in the renewal of spirit
to which Easter points.
Remind us that, at the core of your grace,
is the knowledge that death and destruction,
will never prevail.
You bring new life where once there was none,
hope where it has been lost,
and peace in the midst of turmoil.

Let us never forget,
that we, your people,
are part of your solution.

Let us never forget
when we respond
to form partnerships,
not dictatorships.

Let us recognize and honor
the dignity of the people
of Japan.

Amen.

TWO WAYS TO HELP JAPAN:Text REDCROSS to 90999 to contribute $10.
Donate to Presbyterian Disaster Relief’s effort in Japan by clicking here.

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