Lord God, on this Ash Wednesday when we repent and turn to the gospel, we once again turn to you with cries of lament. Another town. Another school. Another shooting. More death. More destruction. More suffering. More unspeakable pain. As we reel in grief, take our tears and create a river of healing. Turn our mourning into action, end the madness, boom from the heavens that you hate and despise our unwillingness to end the slaughter of the innocents. Give wisdom to those in positions of power that they may set sound policies that will help end this parade of gruesome headlines. Make us relentless in the pursuit of peace, doing whatever it takes to make this mass shooting the last in our land.
May this Lent be a season of corporate penance for our complicity with a culture that refuses to put people over profits, rhetoric and politics. As the dust on our foreheads fades, may the imprint of the cross remain until we embrace the gospel through loving the least of these, seeking justice and refusing to allow the killing of our children any longer. Use our broken and contrite hearts to minister to those irrevocably impacted by the horror unleashed in Parkland, Florida. Do not let us forget those who cannot forget this day. Prince of Peace, Lord of Love, Good Shepherd, show us the way to still waters, green pastures, goodness, mercy, swords beaten into plowshares and that place where the lion lies down with the lamb and the carnage of violence is no more. Amen.
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