Some days it is hard to find the words. Thankfully my friend Nancy shared a beautiful prayer by Karen Ebert which now I submit for your care and consideration. It goes like this;


God of colorful palette,
God of broken chains,

As we sit in the kaleidoscopic glow of the stained-glass, we are aware of the sameness of most of the faces which surround us.
We note this as a confession, not that we have consciously turned away from those who are different from us.
But it is evidence that we have not made strong enough our efforts to turn towards those, whose skin, and accent, and income, do not match our own.

Bring to our minds this moment, images of those who are not like us, but who are, like us, made in your image. Show us the faces of immigrants, and refugees, from decades past and days recent.

Show us the faces of those who live just doors away, who have never entered these doors, or felt your love, because we have never invited them.

Show us the faces in all their diverse glory, this morning, and in the days ahead, and draw us into the beauty you have painted in their eyes, as surely as you have painted it in ours, for we are all your children and we carry your image.

God of colorful palette,
God of broken chains,
Free those kept prisoner by the invisible walls of prejudice, including us. Free us to open our doors as well as our hearts, to invite our brothers and sisters in.

We pray this in the name of Jesus, whose skin was probably much darker than my own, but loves us no matter our color. Amen.

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