July 12th, 2019

Divine One, who breathes life into each and every one of us. May we be able to see Your spark, in our neighbors. Who asks us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Who makes no distinction regarding where we are from, the color of our skin, the faith we believe, and who binds us together in shared humanity. Who teaches us to treat the immigrant like our own people, for we too have been strangers in a land.

We ask that, we are able to fully conceive the idea that every one of us is made in the divine image. An image that inspires us to see that each and every human being is worthy of respect, of dignity, and of human rights. An image that reminds us that though we may not have lived the same lives, we share the same story, the story of humanity.

May we and those in power, understand the difference between right and wrong, between justice and injustice, and between mercy and cruelty.

Oh, one who is merciful and wise, grant that mercy and wisdom to those leaders who need it. Grant them the insights they need to exercise real justice, that they administer all affairs of state fairly, that they see those detained as human beings and not as numbers nor statistics.

May those who are currently detained not lose hope, for we are here with you. We pray that you know that you are not forgotten. That we are holding you in our hearts, that we tell your stories, that your lives matter to us.

And we ask for strength, the strength of resolve not to give in, 
the strength of awareness to know that small actions add up,
the strength of patience to see the long term,
the strength of compassion to see and love others as ourselves, and
the strength of knowing that the arc of the universe, bends towards justice.

*Originally given at the Lights for Liberty Vigil in Pittsburgh, PA in 2019.