Reverend Dr. Donald F. Christian
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Fairfax, VA
Date of Prayer: 03/20/2005
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Almighty God, we believe that the hopes and the fears of all the years are met in You this day.
The hopes that peace will reign.
The hopes that health will be maintained.
The hopes that all may find a place to call home.
The hopes that firm justice will be accompanied by reasonable mercy.
But our fears are also met in You, O God.
The fears of most that conflict will never abate.
The fears of many that health will be taken and with it wealth which will leave us destitute and destroyed.
The fears of some that work and wages will be lost and they will be homeless.
The fears of a few that there is more justice for some than for others.
So we pray, O God.
Use the words and the works of all called to be decision makers, so that the terrorized may always have a voice; the suffering may always have an advocate; the laborer will always find a place to call home; and mercy will be meted out in equal measure with justice for all and prejudice towards none. Amen.
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