"Where Is God?" A Pastoral Prayer

Faithful God, it is easy to cry “Where is God in the world?” as disease disrupts lives and illness induces grief and pain.

Help us to encounter you, O God, in the dedication of nurses and doctors, in the wonder of science and research.
Help us to serve you by comforting those who suffer and accompanying those in distress.

It is easy to cry “Where is God in the world?” as war and violence spread fear and entrench hostility.

Help us to notice you, O God, in unexpected bonds of peace and in the provision of refuge, food, and shelter.
Help us to serve you by confronting aggression and the abuse of power and by protecting those displaced by conflict.

It is easy to cry “Where is God in the world?” as racism diminishes our society and prejudice fuels distrust.

Help us to experience you, O God, in the friendships that bridge cultural divides and through the allies that advocate for those who are exploited.
Help us to serve you by adding our voices to calls for justice and by replacing suspicion with a desire for understanding.

It is easy to cry “Where is God in our lives?” as hopes are dashed and dreams delayed.

Help us to discover you, O God, in the small moments of each day that remind us of your persistent love for us.
Help us to serve you with welcoming hearts and acts of compassion, sharing your love in the world around us.

All this we pray in Jesus’ name, who lived and loved as one of us. God in the world, we praise you, now and forever. Amen.

Gill Le Fevre, Walton Memorial U.C., Oakville, Ont.