Great Physician,
We remember that you heal the sick and secure hope for the oppressed. You restore broken communities, forgive sin, and protect others. You work ceaselessly , tirelessly, continually for the good of all people.
But things are deeply wrong in the world. Our communities are infected with a virus of hatred. Indifference has become a pandemic. Brothers and sisters are strangers.
Human warmth has turned to undisguised suspicion.
We love our own illness and carelessly infect others:
We entertain idols in our homes.
We flirt with contageons that depleat love and breath.
We love the precious viruses that weave into our lifeblood.
We don't know how contagious we are.
We are white with ignorance, pale with self-righteousness.
Knowing You are the first and eternal doctor, we ask you to:
Arrest us as we approach our idols.
Make our diagnosis clear and unavoidable.
Warm our heart toward the humanity in strangers.
Heal the wounds that tear friends from each other.
Reverse the quiet drifting the removes us from our siblings.
Retrain our desires and redirect our attention.
Renovate our hearts and revitalize our affections.
We want to love you more than we have. We long to love others as ourselves.
We ask these things, knowing that you can do more than we can imagine to ask. Amen.