Evening Prayer – 6 January 2021
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Lord, it has been a painful day for this nation
Lord, it has been a painful day for the world
I swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic
To see what is happening in our nation’s Capitol sickens me
On this day when we remember the gift of the Magi
We see such horror unfolding
I am reminded of Howard Thurman’s poem/prayer
When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.
May we be about that work today
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
A friend shared this poem with me some time ago, and it is one of the most meaningful I have ever read. I turn to it often.
Thurman has been a wonderful mentor to me over the years. I first read his writings and listened to cassette tape recordings of his lectures when I was in Seminary (before CDs!)