A Blessing for A Broken World

Kate Bowler, an author and an associate professor of religion at Duke University, writes extensively about her struggle with cancer, grief, and the lessons that come with it. She publishes "blessings", which can be seen as prayers, messages of hope, messages of assurance, messages of consolation, or however someone chooses to view them. They are meant to touch the inner workings of our hearts and to speak to our humanity. She publishes a wide variety of blessings, including some that have inspired me to write my own. In the midst of the turmoil, strife, and brokenness that our world has today, I want to offer a blessing that speaks to what we see, offers prayer for what we have not seen, and helps our continuing struggles with uncertainty.

O God

I come to you in pain and anguish

Help me to see what I cannot see

And to give to you what I have seen

I have seen brokenness, injustice, and sin

I have seen inequality, poverty, and war

I have seen those who fall at the expense of the other

I have seen those who cry for help but cannot receive

I have seen all that I can see

For what I have seen troubles me

Lift the burden of what I feel

Help me bear the emotions of my heart

Renew in me a calm mind, a steadfast spirit

A heart that focuses on you, a heart rejuvenated with love

A heart that is willing to show mercy

A heart that extends grade

A heart oriented towards justice

A heart that bears all things, and forgives all things

A heart that is made by You

Be with me O God

So that I can see the light

A light that makes the next day just a bit easier

For you are steadfast, and you do not falter.

Amen.