With all that is happening in the world with its tensions, ideological differences, futility of deep misunderstandings, war in seemingly out of the way places, and now a major outbreak of war in the Middle East, how are we to pray? Perhaps we may even wonder if there are words we can articulate, let alone make sense of our fractured world. There are words of a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer that, as we pray, invite us to trust our words to God; “O God, merciful and compassionate, who art ever ready to hear the prayers of those who put their trust in thee: Graciously hearken to us who call upon thee, and grant us thy help in this our need, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” With this invitation, we are invited to pray the prayer of Ann Weems (author of Kneeling in Jerusalem and Psalms of Lament) who prays, “I No Longer Pray for Peace.”
“I No Longer Pray For Peace”
On the edge of war, one foot already in,
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
I pray that stone hearts will turn
to tenderheartedness,
and evil intentions will turn
to mercifulness,
and all the soldiers already deployed
will be snatched out of harm's way,
and the whole world will be
astounded onto its knees.
I pray that all the "God talk"
will take bones,
and stand up and shed
its cloak of faithlessness,
and walk again in its powerful truth.
I pray that the whole world might
sit down together and share
its bread and its wine.
Some say there is no hope,
but then I've always applauded the holy fools
who never seem to give up on
the scandalousness of our faith:
that we are loved by God......
that we can truly love one another.
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
