So That We Become Blessings to Others: A Prayer

When I think of hope, I think of our students who keep going, even when exhausted, who keep thinking of ways to fight for justice even when their voices might not be heard. When I think of hope, I think of our students who will not stop until they and the generations to come can breathe freely in a far better world.  

I wrote this prayer for a vigil that was organized by Yale students who came together virtually from multiple time zones and numerous faith communities to create something quite powerful honoring the Black Lives Matter movement and in particular the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, along with too many others. The vigil was held on June 12 over Zoom and was attended by hundreds of people representing a broad range of university and New Haven community members. Hope thrived in the efforts of our students that evening and it will continue to do so – because it must. This is my prayer; they are my hope.

Our God of many names, You who are Divine Mystery rooted in all generations, connect us to one another across the miles, help us to feel your presence in some way wherever we might be right now.

We are a people existing in isolation, in grief, swelled with anguish, battered by exhaustion.

We pray for the families and loved ones of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others who have to live with a horrible loss that began with one final breath.

The past several weeks we have heard and seen the word essential often and we have been thankful for those whose work has been deemed so to keep us going during a global pandemic.  

But now, in this moment of national grief and personal trauma, we call upon You to help us with something else that is essential for the other pandemic that has been raging in our country for over 400 years. We ask You to bless us with essential knowledge.

Our God of all that needs healing, we ask for You to bless us, so that we in turn can become blessings for others.

Bless us with the essential knowledge that we were not created by You to own, dominate, or oppress other human beings. 

Our God of all that needs healing, we ask for You to bless us, so that we in turn can become blessings for others.

Bless us with the essential knowledge that the trauma to Black bodies, indigenous bodies, all people of color and others who are marginalized is trauma that is physical, spiritual, and emotional; it is a trauma that persists through generations, and it matters.  

Bless us with the essential knowledge that we who are part of power structures must atone for our hand in this oppression, name our failures, shed our greed, and vow to act in truly healing ways where compassion and respect flourish.

Bless us with the essential knowledge that inspires those in leadership roles in all our institutions to be firmly rooted within their own humanity with steadfast moral courage, brave vision, and engaging wisdom.

Bless us with the essential knowledge that we are a people in need of hope that has teeth, hope that expands beyond eloquent words, hope that beckons us to have affirming hearts, voices, and hands in your world seeking justice and dignity for all people.  

Bless us with the essential knowledge that we Your people of all colors, abilities, and giftedness can create joy, can nurture tenderness, can love one another with abundance, that we, Your people, can do good work.

Finally, bless us with the essential knowledge that we all hunger for and are deserving of rest, recovery, liberation, and peace. 

Let us be blest and be shalom

Let us be blest and be salaam

Let us be blest and be shanti

Let us be blest and be peace

Together as Your beloved children, we say in one voice: May it be so.

Sharon M.K. Kugler is Yale University Chaplain.