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Give us this day
June 16, 2009
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God, All that is Holy, Creator of all that is good,
Open our eyes, ears, arms, hands, minds, hearts, and spirits so that we may learn to more closely follow the example of Christ in life, death, and resurrection as we seek to live your way of peace and justice.
Give us
Clear eyes to see others as you see them,
Sharp ears to hear your voice in the midst of chaos and imperfection,
Sturdy arms to enfold the wounded with your love,
And gentle hands to give rest to the weary.
Give us
Open minds willing to accept all those you send to us,
Strong hearts to faithfully follow where you lead us,
And willing spirits to fearlessly usher in your non-dominating system.
Mitakuye Oyasin*/Amen
*Mitakuye Oyasin is the way prayers are ended in the Lakota language. It is similar to "amen" in English, however, the literal translation is "we are all related," with "we" being all of creation, seen and unseen. It implicitly indicates that as part of creation, we have privileges and obligations to God as well as to God's entire creation in a complex web of relationships, not unlike a family. Upholding such familial obligations is what justice and peace look like.
Written by Dr. Patricia Burdette, editor for Mennonite Women USA. Dr. Burdette is a retired professor of Rhetoric, and of American Indian Studies. You can find past weeks' prayers at http://peace.mennolink.org/iraq_a_prayers.html.
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