Creator God, be with us in these times of trouble… we are surrounded by images of violence.
We are called to wrestle with how to respond to the devastation, death, fear, and hatred around us with compassionate and prophetic love.
We grieve for a cycle of violence that seems never-ending, and for a world that values some lives more than others.
We grieve for the dead and accompany in prayer and love all those who mourn the loss of life and security.
We confess that we who profess to follow Jesus have been unable or unwilling to obey the command to love one another.
We acknowledge we have failed to break down systems that oppress and marginalize because of race, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
We lift up the voices of all who experience oppression, discrimination, and hatred.
We listen carefully to hear the changes we need to make in our own lives and institutions so that we include rather than exclude.
We give thanks for and offer support to the peacemakers and bridge-builders and those who fight hatred and fear with love and understanding.
We give thanks for those faithful witnesses who speak truth to power and call for conversion to Jesus’ way of love.
We are called to imagine what new hope might look like in a world not filled with such violence and fear.
Creator God, be with us in these times of trouble.
Amen