My prayer for the afflicted

My favorite Psalm for a long time has been Psalm 46. It's spoken to me throughout many difficult times in my life, and it always reminds me of the power words have to transform the state of my spirit. It starts like this:

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. (NIV)

This week has been rough. I have deep-rooted fears about what Trump's presidency will mean for my friends of color, for women, for the poor, for LGBTQ folks, for immigrants, for refugees, for Muslims, the list goes on. There's already been a rise of hate crimes and harassment [see http://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2016/11/11/after-trumps-election-americans-react-with-tweets-and-donations/#a2424c6283cd, or http://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2016-11-10/after-donald-trumps-election-racist-outbursts-in-us, among many other articles and accounts]. On a much, much smaller scale, there have been Trump supporters who have been victims of violence and intimidation as well, which is troubling and should be condemned by all who claim to be committed to peace and justice.

Yet in the midst of this, Psalm 46 - and many, many strong, compassionate people in my life - are reminding me that the election results don't change at all the call for the church and all others who are committed to love their neighbor. If anything, the pursuit of love, justice, truth, and reconciliation matter more than other. 

So this is my prayer for those who are troubled during this time, and I hope these words bring truth, strength, resolve, perspective and maybe even hope to all who read them.

For those who sometimes labored under the misconception that "America" and "Church" were interchangeable words
I pray it wakes you up
That a wealthy, privileged, faithless man who regularly lies and cheats
Won the support of most of the self-identified Christians in America

For those of us who conveniently forget at times that America is an empire
Whose chief pursuits are power, wealth, and influence
I pray we are not too surprised
When America elects a man whose chief pursuits are power, wealth, and influence

For those who voted for that man
Claiming he was the lesser of two evils
I pray that they remember that it's now their job too
To call out evil when it's evil - especially when it's driven by the leader they chose

For those who fear a future under President Trump
Because of the vitriolic rhetoric that spewed from his mouth and threatened their personhood
May they find protection under God's wings
Manifested in the Church and those who love them

For those who are angry at the racism / sexism / homophobia and other nonsense that continues to hold on tight to this nation
May you look deep within 
And be comforted at the fact
That you were created beautifully and nothing can change that

For those who deeply desire change and justice and love for all people
May you remember that is the mission of the Church (and all who love their neighbor as themselves)
And that this can still be done
If we remember the power and calling that is deep within us

For those who hope for a better future
Not just for those who look like / act like / think like them
May we find the courage to never stop fighting for that future
May we remember that our anger at injustice is rooted in love for the oppressed (not rooted in hatred for the oppressors)

May we have the strength to fight the good fight
Remembering we are never alone
Remembering we are chosen by God 
To transform everything with our love.