Rend our hearts and restore your goodness and mercy in our land. Through you, all things are possible, and yet we fail to claim your power to transform chaos into order, war into peace, and anger into action. We pray yet again, Lord God, yet again for your children cut down in a hail of gunfire, for families devastated, communities decimated, our country reeling from self-inflicted wounds of hate. We beg your forgiveness for our unwillingness to address the soul-sickness of our nation, the idolatry of guns and our infatuation with violence and anger and hatred. Comfort those who mourn. Heal the hurting. Strengthen the helpers. Grant courage to your people that we may not just say enough, but do all we can and everything required to stop the killing in our streets.
Amen.
This prayer from Presbyterian Outlook editor Jill Duffield was written after news reports of a mass shooting August 3 at a shopping mall in El Paso. Congregations are free to use this prayer in worship.