Eternal God, when the Earth was without form and void, You spoke. Speak now into our world, a world bereft of peace and security in almost every corner of the globe. Speak now into the senseless conflict in Ukraine. Speak now into the meaningless disputes within communities here at home. Speak now into the confusion of tempers and tensions that transpire even among colleagues.
Darkness has invaded the homes of the destitute who take cover in war–torn cities, enduring days without electricity. Ukrainians and all those who live in the deep of war's night long for Your words: ‘‘Let there be light.'' Innocents who hide in the shadows of homelessness or abuse yearn to hear You to command the light to be separated from the darkness.
Water's unleashed violence threatens whole regions of Ukraine after the destruction of dams and critical infrastructure. The shortage of water jeopardizes American homesteads and harvests. Send Your divine spirit to move over the face of these hostile and deficient waters and bring order into the chaos.
In the newness of this day, God speak Your word into the void. Send Your spirit over the turmoil. Let there be light. Lord, in Your mercy, let it be so.
In Your merciful name we pray. Amen.
Under this covenant of justice, liberty, and union we have become a nation — prosperous, great, and mighty. And we have kept our freedom. But we have no promise from God that our greatness will endure. We have been allowed by Him to seek greatness with the sweat of our hands and the strength of our spirit. … If we fail now, we shall have forgotten in abundance what we learned in hardship: that democracy rests on faith, that freedom asks more than it gives, and that the judgment of God is harshest on those who are most favored.
—Lyndon B. Johnson