Almighty God, Maker of all things, and Judge of all men: We are all sinners before thee, and equally desirous of thy grace. Embolden our hearts to confront them that would judge a man by the color of his skin or by the manner of his speech. Uphold us with thy Holy Spirit as we resist the hatred of them that account themselves greater than others, taking unto themselves the pride and arrogancy of the Pharisees that condemned thy Son, for that he dined with publicans and sinners; for verily we are all sinners in thy sight. Let us not be tolerant of their malice, though it be spoken softly and with a fair tongue; let us not accept their slightest misdeed, for there is no excuse for evil. Stop our ears to the sly words of false prophets, for not every one that sayeth, “Lord! Lord!” shall come into thy kingdom. But cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts, that we may draw nigh to thee, and thou draw nigh to us; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Written in response to the violence in the aftermath of the Nazi rally in Charlotte, VA, August 12th, 2017.
“The lynching of Thomas Schipp and Abram Smith”, August 7th, 1930, in Marion, IN. Photo by Lawrence Beitler.
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