Today in our prayers for the people of Australia.

Prayer for Peace

Bruce Lindgren

Our gracious God,

We pause at this moment to offer a prayer that peace may reign within your creation. As we contemplate the world you have made, we stand in wonder of its beauty and its starkness; of its power and its tranquility; of its mighty rushing wind and its moments of quiet.

We recognize that we, the people you have created to live here, have expressed both the best and the worst of the potential you have placed in us. We have attempted to dominate others for our own ends, and we have made great sacrifices on behalf of other people; we have taken far more than our fair share of the Earth’s resources, and we have striven to live simply; we have stood by and allowed others to suffer, and we have given our own lives on behalf of those we have not even known.

Give us eyes, O God, to see ourselves in the light of your vision—eyes to see ourselves as we truly are and as we might become. Give us ears to hear—ears to hear ourselves as we sound to others and ears to hear the deep expressions of another’s heart. Give us minds to understand—minds that perceive things as they are and minds that perceive things that are possible. Give us hearts with which to love—hearts that forgive offenses against ourselves and hearts that inspire us to reach out to others.

Give us peace, O God, and make us agents of your peace. Let us act with love, justice, and true insight. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.