Prayer After Racist Violence Against Houses of Worship

Alden Solovy

This prayer is an adaptation of "For the Yazidi People," originally written in 2014. It has since been adapted in response to various acts of terror, tailored to each individual situation. This general-use prayer includes a fill-in-the-blank line so it can be used in the immediate aftermath of such a devastating attack.

Prayer After Racist Violence Against Houses of Worship

Oh people of conscience,
Cry out.
Cry out against arrogance.
Cry out against hatred and anger.
Cry out against violence and oppression.
For God requires us to stand
In the name of justice and freedom,
For God requires us to oppose terror,
To muster our power and energy
Against racist aggression
And to protect all houses of prayer.

Oh God,
We implore You,
Look down upon the suffering
Perpetrated against churches, mosques and synagogues,
Against houses of worship in so many lands,
By the hand of wickedness,
By the hand of malevolence,
By the hand of ignorance and sin.
Today we remember, with sadness, the attacks on
______________________ (name of house of worship, city, or religious group)​
And the loss of precious life.

With Your gentle and loving hand,
God of Shelter,
Unite all of your children
Under Your canopy of hope and love.
Bring the light of salvation and healing
To the four corners of the earth.

© 2015 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.