A Lament for Our Time
God of Justice, we sit with sadness in our hearts today. We come in the rawness of our pain, not hiding what we carry. This world feels fractured, and we feel pulled in every direction.
God of the Stranger, we lament for those who have come to our shores, seeking refuge and safety, only to be met with rejection and suspicion. For the immigrant who dreams only of a place to call home, we grieve their struggle and their loneliness. We grieve the hateful propaganda that casts freedom seekers as threats and burdens, fueling fear that places them in even greater danger. May we recognize their humanity and hear their stories.
Mother God, we grieve for women who continue to wrestle with a nation that devalues their lives and contributions. We are filled with sorrow for every time they’ve been silenced, belittled, or dismissed. For all who have marched, spoken, and fought for justice yet see setbacks that feel like betrayal. We repent, God, for every time we’ve chosen leaders who publicly and behind closed doors sexually harass women who diminish their worth with words and physical assault. Forgive us for turning a blind eye and choosing power over character. Let our tears be heard.
God of Liberation, we repent that the labor, resilience, and contributions of black and brown people have been met with disregard, hatred, and violence. For centuries of exploitation and harm, we confess our sins. We repent of using governmental policies and systems as armaments of hatred against our siblings of color, turning laws and institutions into tools of oppression. Forgive us for these past and present injustices, and grant us the courage to dismantle these systems and build new structures rooted in equality.
Light of God, our hearts break for our LGBTQ+ siblings, who seek only to love freely and live openly yet find themselves the target of cruelty and exclusion. For every person who has feared coming out, who has faced violence and rejection from family, friends, and community—for them, God, we grieve. May they know they are beloved, that their lives are precious and whole in your sight. Protect their lives in this time of American hatred for their very existence.
God of comfort, we grieve, too, for those among us with disabilities, whose gifts and voices are so often overlooked. We lament the cruelty of national leaders who mock them publicly, using their disabilities as punchlines to elicit laughter or reinforce power. God, we repent for every time we have stood silent in the face of such cruelty. May we instead be people who defend the dignity of all and protect those most vulnerable, ensuring that each person is valued, respected, and celebrated.
God of the brokenhearted, we pray for your power to rise and fight for the poor, those hungry, those without homes, and those crushed by the weight of poverty. We see the growing power of wealthy American rulers, along with the highest court in our land, passing policies that punish and ticket the poorest amongst us for sleeping on the street and sheltering themselves from the rain. We are a nation that is so in love with the rich that we have lost sight of Christ’s words to care for the poor. Let justice roll down like waters, God.
Loving God, we lament the persistent scourge of white supremacy and Christian nationalism. We acknowledge the ways that they have perverted your message of love and wielded it as a weapon to divide, harm, and exclude. We stand against these forces that distort faith and seek to place some above others. Please help us be unwavering in our rejection of hatred and supremacy so that our faith may be a force for justice, equality, and true peace.
Jesus, we bring to you our anger, our rage at systems that seem unbreakable, at the injustice woven into the fabric of our society. Help us see that our anger can be holy, that it can be a force for change, that it can be part of a sacred call to make things right. Be beside us as we follow your example of extravagant love. May we live this love as a reflection of your heart, a love that reaches beyond boundaries and breaks chains.
Amen.
Pastor Jenell Coker