December 28, 2023

A Prayer for Robin

So, there's a story within this story.  I stumbled upon this old prayer I wrote back in 2018 for my friend Robin when I was doing grief support last week.  Grief is hard, especially for one's first Christmas, and finding ways to support people at this time of year is a passion of mine.  I had forgotten all about Robin's prayer but gave it to the grieving person, then thought about Mary's prayer of exultation when she found out she was pregnant with Jesus.  She was living in similar times, , political tumult and poverty. So I read this for my Advent 4 service last Sunday.  There is a footnote to this:  Robin, who asked for a prayer then let me know she took it with her to Mount Everest.  It was left there with other prayers from around the world.  When I read it last Sunday, one of the visitors in church was a mountain climber and told us that the belief is that prayers left on Mount Everest are shared around the world by Mount Everest's winds which take them around the world.  That coincidence gave me serious goosebumps! The photo here is Robin's group on Mount Everest in 2018.  Not one word has been changed, and yet so much of what is mentioned is still the same even now.

A Prayer for Robin 

Oh Holy Mystery, Great Creator, be with me and my family as we live through these troubled times.  The world seems bent on self-destruction with greed and politics causing war and violence.  Diseases and viruses cause us fear of the unknown.  Tensions arise between Ukrainians and Russians, Jews and Muslims and Christians, terrorists and civilians.  Children and innocents are victims of conflicts that date back centuries, and even famous and beloved movie stars find life too tragic to endure.

Here in Canada there are no bombs dropping or epidemics of Ebola but we still deal with the pressures of daily living, the underlying assumptions that we are not good enough or that we are not doing enough or famous enough or helping others enough or safe enough or smart enough or brave enough.  There are times when we feel that we must be in control of the whole universe and times when we feel that the whole universe is out of control.  Cancers, car accidents, racist acts, conflicts with family or neighbors all add stress and fear to our lives.

Help us remember to search for your loving presence in our days.  Help us to look for signs of hope.  Help us to remember the times when we have seen a rainbow or butterfly, had that phone call from a friend or cuddled a kitten at just the right time.

Help us to remember the inspiring moments when others have touched our hearts with their sensitive art or stirring words.  Help us to remember the thin places we have experienced through nature, music, architecture, art, poetry or drama that have helped us see humanity in all its glorious potential.  Help us to remember that we are not alone in times of trial.  Help us to have the courage to ask for the help that we need when dealing with the demons and dragons of our lives.  Help us to see hope for the human race when we hear of ice bucket challenges that raise money to heal others they don’t even know.  Help us remember the acts of courage of people who want to show us what is happening around our world.  Help us remember the bravery of volunteers who deliver aid in the midst of tragedy. 

Help us too to remember to act with compassion and forgiveness.  Help us remember that time is the greatest gift we can give another, and the most precious tools we can use to help are our own ears.  Help us to be inspired by the one who braved oppression, spoke out against religious intolerance, challenged racist and sexist stereotypes, and did not let cruelty and torture stop his message of your compassionate and sympathetic love.  May he continue to inspire and encourage us as we live each day as a gift you give us.  May we remember Him as we break bread with our family and friends, and may we remember that we truly are never alone in this world of your creating.  In life, in death, in life beyond death, you are with us, thanks be to you.  Amen. 

P.S. the song we picked weeks ago to follow the sermon, which I forgot all about? "Go Tell it on the Mountain" - more goosebumps! May these words bless you and keep you and give you hope wherever you are this holiday season and bless you for 2024.