Oh, God of earth, Oh God of heaven.
Why?
Why must your people suffer?
Why must homes and lands and cars be thrown into the sea?
Why must dreams to be washed away?
Why must promises of security be destroyed?
Why must children live in fear of what is next?
Why must calm waters soothe one day and devastating storms mock the next?
Why?
In moments like these, we sit in awe of the brokeness of what it means to be a citizen of this world.
We wait in silence. We stick close to each other.
We share our funds. We give the concern of our hearts, hoping these things travel the miles that we can not.
We hope that this sad chapter for those left behind is met with the deep comfort of loving community.
We hope that people of faith will find ways to bring light into cities of darkness.
We hope that race, religion or creed does not hinder the good work of compassion that You set before us to do together.
We hope that even in death, there might be life.
We ask that even as You, O God, feel so far away right now that Your presence might be near: may this fact be enough. Enough for our sisters and brothers to be sustained breath by breath from this moment to the next.
AMEN
