1/7/19

One of the things I like about Central Lutheran Church is how self-aware they are as a community, how inclusive they are, and how much care they have for everyone, especially marginalized groups, whether it's Palestinians in Gaza or the homeless we see and meet everyday on the street. I found this prayer of confession and forgiveness from yesterday, for example, particularly honest and meaningful:

Just and righteous ruler, we bring you our good intentions and our poor follow-through. We want to live in the light, yet we continue to dwell content in the shadows, where less seems to be demanded of us. We desire to break down barriers and stand in solidarity with all of your people, but sometimes we fear the loss of privilege and comfort. We pray for peace and yet tolerate whatever violence seems to offer us protection. Forgive our duplicity and restore us to single-minded devotion to your compassionate will, through Christ. Amen.

Sometimes I mean so well, but fall so short. Sometimes I do what's right, and sometimes I do nothing because it's easier. But compassion is what helps me break down the barrier between self and other so that I'm more and more aware of, and receptive to, the suffering of others. Compassion is what helps give rise to a desire to help ease that suffering. Compassion is what I must remember to constantly develop and return to. What this prayer means to me is that, confronting the evils and suffering in life is a duty that we all share with one another, and it's up to us to continually strive to actualize our cooperative and compassionate nature and make our world truly the best possible.