A Prayer for the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners Meeting, July 11th, 2016

[In Haverford Township, the Board of Commissioners still ask our Havertown Ministerium to provide pray-ers for Commissioner's Meetings.  My turn usually comes in July, since our Session meeting doesn't conflict in July.  In the wake of the horrific loss of life in Baton Rouge, outside St. Paul, and in Dallas--this is what I shared:]  

Commissioners, it’s always a privilege and an honor to be with you and to offer an opening prayer for your meeting. 

The last time I was here was back in October, and I asked you to indulge me in a moment of silence because there had been a number of incidents of violence at schools. 

It took my breath away that 9 months later, after another week of horrific violence, I might need to do it again. 

But, silence hasn’t helped, or gotten us to where we’ve really wanted to go. 

So, if you’ll indulge me again, in the wake of Baton Rouge, St. Paul, and Dallas—take a moment, not to look down or to look away, but instead, I ask you to look around the room and look into the faces of those next to you and those across the room. 

Look into the faces….  Christians believe that we are all of us as human beings, made in the image of God.  We all have a little bit of God in our faces; we need each other, we are essential to each other—in all of our beautiful diversity. 

Rather than silence, when we’re looking for answers, we might try asking each other! 

I invite you to join me in asking for God’s Blessing: 

Holy God:

We again we have experienced that living is hard, that policing is hard, that governing is hard. 

We are polarized by politics, name-calling, finger-pointing, hand-wringing, blaming, pointing of guns, systemic failures, constantly having to pull ourselves up after another injustice another unfairness. 

We wish that killing were just as hard; but it seems it comes all too easily. 

May we be reminded, O God, that we each share your image; that we need one another. 

May we be reminded that ALL life is all too precious, and far too fleeting. 

May we be reminded that we are all human, that we all make mistakes, but that we are unsatisfied to just let them go, and that we will do all that is in our power to make them right. 

May we disagree, in love. 

May we challenge each other, in love. 

May we work for reasonable solutions—even unreasonable solutions—in love. 

So in this meeting, may our commissioners meet civility and kindness and charity in each other. 

And may those who come with business, meet kindness and charity, and know that we are all doing the best we can. 

May we bless each other with smiles, being grateful for those who give of themselves so that our lives are easier—for those who pick up trash and yard waste; for those who run to the firehouse at the sound of a siren and check out smoke alarms and smoking pots on stove, and unattended barbecue grills; for those who patrol the streets stand in harm’s way, and rescue lost cats; and yes, for those that must vote to make it happen by paying the Township bills and the payroll! 

All of this is hard, but we can do it well.  Smile on us, O God. 

AMEN.