A Prayer for our Nation from the PW Churchwide Moderator

January 14, 2021

Sisters in Christ,

I’ve been weeping.

What happened on January 6, 2021, in our nation’s capital was simply horrible and unthinkable. Tears keep pouring out of my eyes when I think about what happened, even while still processing it. The day was Epiphany.

I want to share with you part of my prayers that I offered to the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church.

Merciful God,

We ask you this day to give us strength and peace.

This week, the people in this nation experienced the unthinkable.

We watched helplessly and in shock, the violence, vandalism, desecration, invasion unfolding in our nation’s capital for hours. We, as a nation, used to claim ourselves as a “shining democracy” on a hill. People around the world have risked their lives to come to the US to live, and many are still hoping and aspire to come for our democratic government.

We are shocked and saddened. We are in deep grief, realizing that what we held on high so proudly was so fragile. Something pierced deeply into our hearts. Help us, O God. Cleanse our hearts. Help us get rid of any hatred toward others, the notion of superiority, and self-righteousness that reside in our hearts.

We long to have our hearts and minds filled with love. Love, which is not arrogant. Love, which does not insist on its way. Love, which is kind and rejoices in the truth. Help us rebuild our hearts and the nation’s heart.
Help us remember whose we are by remembering our baptism and the commitments we made through our baptism. Lead us to love our neighbor by doing justice and by sharing the grace you poured upon us while walking humbly with you, O God.

Amen.

Where is hope? I ask. Hope still comes from God. Hope still comes from our coming together to build the Beloved Community. Let us continue to build the Beloved Community in hope.

Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24b-25.

In faith and love,

JyungIn (Jenny) Lee
Moderator for Presbyterian Women in the PC(USA), Inc.