Creation, Devastation, Restoration; A Prayer for Japan
Loving God,
In the beginning, You created
the heavens and the earth,
light to separate the darkness,
sky to divide the waters above and below,
and dry land to set apart the lower waters.
On the dry land You created flowers and trees with seeds to bear life and fruit.
In the sky You placed lights to illumine the darkness
and to nourish the seeds of the earth.
You then filled the sky with birds
and the waters with fish and whales
and all kinds of things that live under the water.
On the dry land you created cattle and pigs,
bugs and butterflies,
spiders and snakes,
- animals of all kinds.
And then you made Man - humanity, my brothers and sisters.
With each new thing, You looked and saw that it was good.
Yesterday, in Japan,
the heaven’s cried out,
the earth shook,
darkness filled the sky,
the seas and the dry land no longer were separated,
t he seeds of the earth, the animals, and humanity were all under the water.
Good was hard to see.
As ones made in Your own image, O God,
Help us breathe new life into the land and peoples of Japan.
Create in us strength to help bear the burden of our brothers’ and sisters’ darkness
and compassion such that we can bring light again into their world,
Create in us knowledge to help our neighbors separate the waters from the dry land
and give us wisdom to help restore life in both,
Create in us giving hearts so that we can restore the land of Japan
with plants and animals to nourish its people,
homes to protect them,
and livelihoods to sustain them.
Create in us the courage to do all that we are called to do.
And, Gracious God, create in us love and faith
that, in the end, are strong enough to look around and see
that all is good.
Amen.
- Kris Elliott Baker, March 2011
