A prayer adapted by Captain Star Conliffe from a prayer written by Auxiliary-Lieutenant Rosy Keane.
Come to us in the time of our distress
Merciful God
We bring our prayers of lament to you today and cry out against the violence we are seeing perpetrated in our community.
We mourn the senseless loss of life, loss of dignity, and loss of safety experienced by women, children and the vulnerable.
In this moment Lord we bring to mind the loved ones, the witnesses, the survivors, the first responders and the communities who are reeling from the consequences of violence. (Moment of silence)
Comfort us Lord when silence seems too scary
When the words ‘senseless’ and ‘violence’ open up old wounds of confusion, and fear
Comfort us when we are reminded of all the violations visited upon innocents – war, and genocide, being hurt in our own homes, injustice upon injustice with no end in sight.
Draw your arms near for embracing us
in our nervous wreck states
Come home to us, Lord
Make us comfortable in our skins, unafraid.
We pray for the comfort of your great love. We ask for revelation of you, knowledge of you, pursuit of you. We pray that our community would not only be great but good, not only resilient but resolved, not only healed but whole. All humanity is yours and you are with us in our devastation.
Let us draw on our hope that you are the one who comforts the mourning, that we are witnesses who bear fruit, that all those who call you Lord also call you Saviour.
Let our salt be our knowledge of your love, bringing flavour, comfort and healing.
Let our light be gentle and insistent on the truth of good things to come, even while we sit in the discomfort and spaces of loss and mourning.
Let our wordlessness in the face of grief be a reminder that you are the word made flesh, who suffered all grief so we may never do life or death alone.
In all things we praise you,
Even now we praise you,
You are worthy of praise
Our Holy Father,
Amen.