A Prayer for Friday, June 19, 2015

Emanuel AME Church

O God,

Bless the families of the nine people who were murdered in their church building after they had shared in a time of prayer with the man who would shoot them.

Bless the church family that has been violated by senseless and hate-fueled violence while engaging in actions—in Bible study, prayer, and hospitality—that should make for peace.

Help the Charleston community so that whatever divisions they have will not be made wider by this treacherous tragedy and that whatever progress they have made in coming together will not be harmed by it.

Help our nation so that we will take responsibility for our corporate role in creating and perpetuating a culture of violence even as we hold the killer responsible for his actions.

Inspire us all so that we will do what we can to make such mass killings less likely.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Amen.