A Prayer for MLK Sunday

“Jesus said to his followers, ‘Come and see.”  John 1:39

In our walk with you, Jesus, you are described as the “Light of the World.”  Whoever follows you will never walk in darkness.   So – no matter where we are on the spectrum that encompasses belief as well as bewilderment – be with us in these fearsome times.  For You, the Lamb of God who takes away the lovelessness, greed and the cruelty of the world, know us far better than we know ourselves.

We give thanks that your light embodies a gracious but unyielding persistence – calling forth the young and old – but particularly during times of unrest.     Acknowledging our own trepidation, compel us to remember those who answered were flesh and blood like us: Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, William DuBois, Rosa Parks, and gay activist Bayard Ruskin, who was an advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr.   Still, You, You in your extravagant love, You in your mercy, You in your tireless commitment to justice, continue to beckon, calling those who decry the wholesale destruction of our planet, those who have pledged themselves to protecting the refugee, those who advocate for affordable health care, those who confront the deceit that undermines institutional life.  For just as you promised them, so you assure us, that whoever follows you will never walk in darkness.

We pray for those who are hurting and grieving.    For those who contend with serious illness, for those who struggle under the weight of disability, memory loss and declining health, for those whose grief weighs heavy upon them and those whom they love.   For the impoverished and the imprisoned, the falsely accused and unjustly condemned, those who out of fear and shame hide who they are as created by you.

Light of the World, Redeemer of the Lost, Healer of the Broken and Defender of the Powerless, we pray that you will equip even the likes of us.   So that we, will be beacons of your light, champions of your justice and visible reminders of your astonishing grace.   We ask this in Christ’s name.  Amen.

[1] image from the website, BibleStudyTools.  Photo credit, Meg Bucher

Author: Jessica McArdle

These are dark and corrosive times. As a writer and ordained minister with the United Church of Christ, I use prayer, poetry, reflection, and scripture to re-align our embattled spirits with the uniqueness and urgency of our God-given identity and call. View all posts by Jessica McArdle