
Our Father, God, Creator of all your different children,
teach us to love what you have created.
Teach us to see people one by one
and to acknowledge them as our Father’s children,
our brothers and sisters:
not to pigeonhole them;
not to hammer them into unnatural molds of our own making,
but to rejoice in our differences,
accepting people as they are
– different but of equal worth –
each one a part of God’s creation,
showing something of his love and glory.
Sybil Phoenix, 1927-, Guyanese born British community worker
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May the God who gives endurance and encouragement
give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,
so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you,
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you,
in order to bring praise to God.
I love this prayer. It’s a powerful reminder once more of the intrinsic value of every life, made in the image of God, especially at a time like this with the Ukraine war, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza, the curtailing of funds for USAID and for agencies helping refugees resettle here.
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