Christ, our Brother,
not a day goes by without vile acts of terrorism,
not an hour without racism-fueled violence,
not a minute without poisonous micro-aggressions,
not even a second without a woman’s blood being violently shed.
And yet, we are called to go about our days,
laughing, celebrating, loving, and sharing,
nurturing hope, and feeding love,
being your people in the world,
with the ever-present weight of oppression.
The suffering caused by this burden is inescapable from
the escalating anti-Asian racism and racism in all forms,
the rise in gun violence and mass shootings,
the ongoing violence against women and gender-based assaults,
the injustice of poverty,
the lack of sufficient health-care resources,
the isolation, loneliness, and pain.
The weight of racism, hate, and violence daily breaks hearts and crushes spirits.
And so we pray with
the people of Monterey Park and Alhambra, California,
who are mourning after the mass shooting that took place during Lunar New Year festivities;
those who are afraid, broken-hearted, and crushed in spirit by racism, hate, and violence;
the people of Half Moon Bay and Tulare County, California,
who are mourning recent mass killings in their small towns;
those who have been impacted forever because of a mass shooting;
and those whose pain and trauma reopens with each shooting reported,
knowing that you, in your passion, acknowledge the brokenness of our world,
assured that you weep with us.
Christ, our Friend,
in a world that seeks to bind us in oppression,
we remember that you invite us to healing and rest.
You affirm in your ministry
that we are each beloved, beautiful, worthy, and whole.
You promise in your teachings to share the load.
You teach us that healing, restoration, and liberation are possible.
As we live with the ever-present reality of racism in our world,
strengthen and empower us with the knowledge that
not a day, not an hour, not a minute, not even a second goes
by where we are not enfolded by your ever-present love for us.
Amen.