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Prayer for Civility

Updated: Mar 27



Good and Gracious God,

forgive us,

for we know not what to do.

 

We assume,

We opine,

We label,

We blame,



We reject,

We criticize,

We condemn.

We turn deaf ears

to one another.

 

Incivility

has become

our lingua franca.

Disappointment,

our shared identity.

 

Like the tower of Babel,

our language divides us.

 


As the tone of our discourse

becomes louder and

more aggressive,

we yearn to withdraw into

our own self-interests,

which only distances us further

from your call

to love and service.

 


We are guilty of

the sin of forgetting.

 

We have forgotten

to love one another

as you have loved us.

 

To do unto “the other”

as we would have

“the other” do unto us.


 

We jump to quick judgements,

forgetting that we too

will be judged.

 

We have lost our way.

 

We come to you today,

asking that you

guide us toward civility -

in the thoughts we think

and the words we speak.



Help us -

Learn to build others up,

not tear them down.


To express our

thoughts and feelings

with tact and respect.


Open our hearts

so that we might listen

to desperate voices

with patience

and empathy.

 

As we adapt to this

new way of being,

may we become

agents of change

for our beleaguered world.

 

No longer dependent on

strident discourse,

but empowered by

your love and grace

in all that we

say and do.

 

AMEN



 
 
 

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Guest
4 days ago
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you sweet Claire....... Lisa B. xxoox

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Rebecca Powers
Apr 02
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Excellent poem for these trying times Claire. 🙂 A very appreciated reminder to all us of how to follow Christ by his kindness, patience and good will. 💞 Many thanks! 🙏

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Chuck
Apr 01
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Loved the and the photos, especially the kids with the ice cream cones

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Guest
Mar 28
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Nice Claire

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Frank D
Mar 28
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Claire, a lovely prayer. Sometimes my prayers are not so generous.

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