A Prayer for Our Times
By Kent
IF . . .
if they depend on ignorance,
     may i read until my eyes dry out
if they depend on chaos,
     may i be steadfast and serene
if they depend on fear,
     may i be gentle and
          comforting to all i meet
if they depend on division,
     may i nurture community wherever i go
if they depend on retribution,
     may forgiveness be my rule
if they depend on despair,
     may i celebrate my hope
          and the hopes of others
if they depend on silence,
     may God’s spirit quake within me
          and within you, and from heart to heart
               in a language that always perseveres
may i be mindful of the God i love
     and do my part all the more,
so that those who have been let down
     might be lifted up,
and those who depend on darkness
     might pursue the source of my resistance
          and find light.

