Disaster Prayer
In the past few years we have seen, by virtue of television, tremendous natural disasters that have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, young and old, rich and poor. The lives of their surviving families, friends, neighbors, have been changed forever, some tragically even though they still live. People caught in power beyond their control. The huge tsunami of Southeast Asia that killed hundreds of thousands in that one terrible motion of water alone. Katrina and the other hurricanes that have hit us here in our own country. More recently tornadoes and flooding here in the US. The devastating earthquake that hit Haiti that has left thousands still in tents. And just a few short weeks ago another huge earthquake and tsunami that swept away the lives of thousands in Japan, with after effects still being felt.
We shed tears for a short time for such awful events, and say quiet sighs of relief that it has not been us.
But how quickly we forget as we get caught up in the news of revolutions and war. How quickly we forget as we get caught up in the news of political turmoil and bickering. How quickly the images of natural disaster fade as images of human childishness, folly, greed, anger, hatred, oppression—human-created tragedy--take their place on our television screens.
This week, I watched the Ken Burn’s documentary on the Civil War, a human-caused tragedy that began 150 years ago that took over 630,000 lives in just 4 short years, and left thousands more surviving but changed forever. It is especially terrible to realize that over the centuries far more people have died as a result of human-caused tragedies than by wind and waves and earthquakes. In the few short months since a congresswoman was shot in Arizona and others with her were killed, nearly 3000 people have been gun downed in our country alone.
How quickly we forget the continuing suffering from those natural disasters-- forgetting that even as Japan’s land still quakes, here in our own nation there are those still struggling from Katrina.
What prayer can we say at such a time, when thousands upon thousands, ten thousands upon thousands are missing — bodies never to be retrieved, families never to be reunited?
What prayer might make a difference to those survivors who remain in the wake of disasters?
So often we have been taught to pray to change things, to make a difference to stop a tragedy. But when the tragedy has already come, how do we pray? We can only try.
In our prayer for the victims and survivors, let us not narrow our compassion for all who suffer, whatever their profession or creed; let no hatred or prejudice enter our hearts for anyone.
Let us pray for all those affected by the earthquakes and the tsunami; for the children, for the young people, for the parents, grandparents and relatives, those lost and those surviving. Let us pray for those involved in the attempts to restore, to relieve suffering, and to bring aid. Let us pray for the global community, for the leaders of church, cities, and nations — that together we might work for the greater good and find new levels of compassion through cooperation.
Called by the Holy Spirit to unity, you call us God to enter into the suffering of your children, repenting of our ignorance, refusing to be silent or passive, ready to respond in Christian love to those in every nation where there is need.
On this day, our prayer is one of remembrance: We remember that those who perished are More than numbers, More than statistics, More valuable than sparrows; Each was a person of sacred worth created in the image, oh God.
We read in the scriptures the words of your Son, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
In the aftermath of one of the most terrible tragedies that any of us can remember, we are comforted by the knowledge that you, Almighty God, who knows when a sparrow falls to the ground also knew and loved each of those who died, and you weep with all those who are suffering.
On this day we lift our prayer for all who survived, those who lost loved ones and face the terrible responsibility to keep on living in the midst of death, to keep on loving in the midst of loss, to find a way to have a funeral in the midst of chaos — when the bodies of loved ones may never be recovered.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, we find comfort in the knowledge that no child of yours, oh God, is unknown and that no child of yours is alone. Therefore we pray with confidence for those who survive, children without parents, parents without children, spouses missing, loved ones lost, families torn apart.
Today, we pray for ourselves and all those with power to help —those individuals, churches, cities and nations entrusted with the resources needed to relieve suffering, sustain life and rebuild the property that has been destroyed.
God of mercy, we seek forgiveness for the shallowness of our reaction to the natural disasters, our forgetfulness. We especially seek forgiveness for the tragedies caused by human intolerance, human greed, human hatreds. We seek forgiveness for our complacency and complicity in such human-caused grief.
God, we pray for eyes that are open to see what Jesus sees, ears that are open to truly hear, hearts that are open to love as Christ loved, and lives that respond to our neighbor and the least of these who are members of your family.
Loving God, we remember that we are stewards of the manifold resources you have entrusted to us. We are people who belong to families, churches, cities and nations just like those who perished. With their friends and families we pause to give thanks that you gave them life and that you loved them. We give you thanks that in this present moment we are not entirely helpless—we believe that prayer does make a difference.
Gracious God, guide our prayer, open our hearts and empower our acts of compassion and justice that suffering might be relieved, villages rebuilt, and lives restored. Bless our acts of obedience that in some small way, we might be used to restore hope, and increase faith, and widen the pathway to peace — as we offer our prayer in the name of your Son, our Savior, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.
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