A Prayer for Friday, May 11, 2012

Faces

Forgive us, O God, for…

…our inhumanity that leads us to think of people in categories and as stereotypes;

…our hectic lifestyle that leads us to rush right by people without taking them into full consideration; and

…our fear that leads us to present ourselves not as we are but rather as we think people want us to be.

Help us, O God, to slow down, to take each individual as she or he comes, and both to know our true selves and to have the courage to present our true selves.

Help us, O God, to take the time, to have the patience, and to make the effort to know and to accept ourselves and to know and to accept others--

--until we have faces.

Amen.