the news to
stop turning war into a video gam
Are you struggling with what to pray about the situation in Gaza and Israel which is escalating every day? Last Sunday I used some prayers in worship from the Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland. The chapel at Corrymeela is called the ‘Croi’, which is Gaelic for heart (and pronounced ‘cree’). The chapel is a circular design inspired by the shape of a human cochlea. During the services at Corrymeela they say a prayer for courage. As a centre of peace, justice and reconciliation, and especially during the troubles in Northern Ireland, as well as the work they continue to do with communities today, this prayer is offered by them to help us all in our everyday lives, our experiences and decisions.
Courage comes from the heart and we are always welcomed by God, the Croi of all being. We bear witness to our faith, knowing that we are called to live lives of courage, love and reconciliation in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of each day. We bear witness, too, to our failures and our complicity in the fractures of our world. May we be courageous today. May we learn today. May we love today. Amen.
The Methodist Church has this week issued a prayer:
Loving God
I see the news and I am afraid.
Violence is spiralling out of control.
I don’t know what to think or feel.
The temptation to fall into
hatred, or
despair
feels very close at hand.
Help me to remember
that nothing in all creation
can separate me from your love
that I know in Jesus.
May your perfect love for me
cast out my fear
and free me to discern
what is mine to do
amidst the chaos of this suffering world.
“We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Non-Believers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves.
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation.
Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.”
This week there are few words, only prayer, that can make a difference in loving with big stuff. But a prayer sent to me the other day reminds us we can make a difference where we are. In worship yesterday I reminded someone overwhelmed with the events of the world an old quote that says I cannot fix all the world’s problems. If I don’t have a ladder I cannot reach the ceiling. I can only do something about that which I can reach. I can’t today do much about Israel and Gaza except pray really, but I can make a difference in my own circle of companions and fellow travellers on my road. Canon Vicky from York Minster who led the training I went on, reminded us that the heart of the story of the incarnate God is this: “glory to God in the highest and on earth peace.” That’s what Maya Angelou speaks of in her poem “Amazing Peace” which I quoted above. Read the whole poem! It’s fabulously relevant. Here’s the prayer I was sent which maybe tells me to concentrate on what I can make a difference about.
I can’t make the world be peaceful.
I can’t stall tanks from roaring down roads.
I can’t prevent children from having to hide in bunkers.
I can’t convince the news to stop turning war into a video game.
I can’t silence the sound of bombs tearing neighbourhoods apart.
I can’t turn a guided missile into a bouquet of flowers.
I can’t make a warmonger have an ounce of empathy.
I can’t convince diplomats to quit playing truth or dare.
I can’t deflect a sniper’s bullet from turning a wife into a widow.
I can’t stave off a schoolyard being reduced to ash and rubble.
I can’t do any of that, the only thing I can do is love the next person I encounter without any conditions or strings, to love my neighbour so fearlessly that it starts a ripple that stretches from
one horizon to the next.
I can’t force peace on the world but I can become a force of peace in the world because sometimes all it takes is a single lit candle in the darkness to start a movement.
O Spirit, let me be a candle of comfort in this world let me burn with peace.
I can’t make the
world be peaceful
I can’t stall tanks
from roaring down roads
I can’t prevent children
from having to hide in bunkers
I can’t convince the news to
stop turning war into a video game
I can’t silence the sound of bombs
tearing neighborhoods apart
I can’t turn a guided missile
into a bouquet of flowers
I can’t make a warmonger
have an ounce of empathy
I can’t convince diplomats
to quit playing truth or dare
I can’t deflect a sniper’s bullet
from turning a wife into a widow
I can’t stave off a schoolyard being
reduced to ash and rubble
I can’t do any of that
the only thing I can do
is love the next person I encounter
without any conditions or strings
to love my neighbor
so fearlessly that
it starts a ripple
that stretches from
one horizon to the next
I can’t force peace
on the world
but I can become a force
of peace in the world
because
sometimes all it takes
is a single lit candle
in the darkness
to start a movement
oh, Spirit,
let me be a candle
of comfort in this world
let me burn with peace
I can’t force peace
on the world
but I can become a force
of peace in the world
because
sometimes all it takes
is a single lit candle
in the darkness
to start a movement
oh, Spirit,
let me be a candle
of comfort in this world
let me burn with peace
can’t stall tanks
from roaring down roads
I can’t prevent children
from having to hide in bunkers
I can’t convince the news to
stop turning war into a video game
I can’t silence the sound of bombs
tearing neighborhoods apart
I can’t turn a guided missile
into a bouquet of flowers
I can’t make a warmonger
have an ounce of empathy
I can’t convince diplomats
to quit playing truth or dare
I can’t deflect a sniper’s bullet
from turning a wife into a widow
I can’t stave off a schoolyard being
reduced to ash and rubble
I can’t do any of that
the only thing I can do
is love the next person I encounter
without any conditions or strings
to love my neighbor
so fearlessly that
it starts a ripple
that stretches from
one horizon to the next
I can’t force peace
on the world
but I can become a force
of peace in the world
because
sometimes all it takes
is a single lit candle
in the darkness
to start a movement
oh, Spirit,
let me be a candle
of comfort in this world
let me burn with peace
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