As Advent dawns again, O God, we lament that hateful chants, violence, and death have marked our streets.
Lord, have mercy!
God of all Advents, this season we cry, “If only you would tear open the heavens and come down!” But too often we forget that your arrival sets the captives free, separates the sheep and the goats, and judges those who hoard privilege at the expense of others.
Lord, have mercy!
Trusting in the promise that Christ is coming to save sinners, we lay bare before you our own failure to work for equality, our capitulation to injustice, and our enjoyment of benefits denied others because of their culture or the color of their skin.
Lord, have mercy!
Tear open the heavens, O God, dismantle all that destroys our community.
Come, Lord Jesus!
Help us to heed John the Baptist’s call to repent, for the Lord is near. Put on our lips, and more importantly in our hearts, the question of faith that ripples through the ages, “What, then, should we do?”
Come, Lord Jesus!
Silence in us any voice but yours, so we will have the ears to hear the answer and the courage to do what you command.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O God of all Advents, make all things new, including us.
You are welcome to use this prayer in worship. Please do not reprint without permission. May this litany be a beginning of a renewed struggle to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God across all the barriers that still divide us.
