O Lord have mercy
Later that night,
I held an atlas in my lap, ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered
where does it hurt?
It answered
Everywhere
Everywhere
Everywhere
— Warson Shire
In the face of continuing horrific violence around the world I am left speechless. Again and again, night after night, words fail me. The world hurts. The world hurts everywhere, and has been hurting for a long time. As I sit there grieving, and mourning, and outraged by the violence that we do to each other, I begin to sing.
O Lord have mer-cy
O Lord have mer-cy
O Lord have mer-cy
Have mercy o-n us. Amen
( Adapted from Sing the Journey #47, Oh, Lord have mercy)
When hatred and violence seem to win out over peace and love. When it is fear and anxiety rather than love and compassion that calls us to action. O Lord have mercy.
When loved ones are snatched from us in the blink of an eye. When we forget about those suffering and struggling to survive around the world. O Lord have mercy.
When bombs go off, when weapons are traded, when children become soldiers. When starvation sets in, when diseases infect, when nature destroys rather than provides life. O Lord have mercy.
When our homes, our schools, our public places and our governments are no longer safe. When our homes, our schools, our public places and our governments have never been safe. O Lord have mercy.
When we harbour hate because of gender, race, language, sexuality, class, colour, religion, and difference. When we forget love. When we forget each other. O Lord have mercy.
For everything not yet named. O Lord have mercy.
O Lord have mercy
O Lord have mercy
Have mercy on us!
Amen.
Pastor Sara Erb
