Father, in the way of Jesus
With joy in Your Spirit, we praise You.
Enable us to cause global justice
To labour against poverty and hatred.
We pray that within our cities
You enable us to share our space
With many peoples not like us.
Enable us to embrace them
That through our differences
We grow into full humanity
Shown through Jesus’ life
In whose name we pray
Through Your Spirit
That makes us one.
Amen.
I crafted this prayer, drawing themes and its structure from a Collect for “Cities” in the Book of Common Prayer. The Collect specifically concludes by suggesting that only through encountering people “from different cultures,” can we find “with one another the fulfilment of” our “humanity through Jesus Christ our Lord.” I directly informing this prayer is the “many tongues” theme of Pentecost. Another factor that guiding my own version of the prayer, was sitting in a briefing yesterday for upcoming national missions conference in 2018, the focus of which will be on cities.
Following are further parts of the original Collect:
Heavenly Father . . . you have given us a vision of that holy City to which the nations of the world bring their glory: Behold and visit, we pray, the cities of the earth. . . .
Enable us to eliminate poverty, prejudice, and oppression . . . that men and women from different cultures and with differing talents may find with one another the fulfillment of their humanity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
