Oil Spill Prayer

I confess I'm finding it hard to write today. It could be because there's a cat dozing on my wrists and nudging my fingers with her nose (I didn't close the door to my office tightly enough, and she snuck in).

But it's mostly because I can't stop thinking about the oil spill -- which is probably why today's goddess is so industrial-looking, and sort of devilish. She has a structural quality to her, which makes me think of structural integrity, but that reminds me of the LACK of integrity in the BP and Toyota executives, and I get discouraged all over again.

And then I was in town yesterday, and just outside the post office there were two men who had set up a booth. They greeted me with an enthusiastic "Hi!" and then mumbled something else that ended with the word "Obama," and I realized their booth featured a photo of Obama with a Hitler mustache drawn on his face, and they were collecting signatures to ask for an impeachment.

Which was even more horrifying.

I mean, yes, I voted for the man, and, yes, I'm disappointed in his performance. But the amount of venom spewing about from all the tea party people seems even more toxic than the oil spill. What is to become of us, I wonder, as I watch our country become increasingly polarized? And what a horrendous mess we are leaving for our children to clean up -- on all levels.

I don't hate the BP executives, or the Tea Partiers. But the selfishness and greed which are such an integral part of the human condition do seem to be winning here, and it leaves me with a horrible helpless feeling. I want to hope, I want to believe, that God can work through all things for good. But some days it's very difficult to sustain hope and belief.

At such times, all we can do is pray. So I offer here this prayer, which I found on a website called Oil Spill Prayer, where prayers are being collected for healing and an end to the spill. Oil Spill Prayer seeks to unite Christians and churches in the gulf coast, across the United States, and around the world in prayer about the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.

Our LORD,
Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer,

You alone are sovereign over creation.
You alone created the heavens and the earth.
You alone sustain and hold all things together.
You alone are the redeemer and re-creator.

We praise You for your wonderful creation,
But now plead with You for your intervention.
In the face of great tragedy we turn to You,
We ask that You step in with works of restoration.

Be with the families of those who were killed,
May they be comforted with Your peace.
Be with those who were injured,
May they experience Your healing.

Be with those whose jobs are affected in an already tough economy,
May they receive Your provision.
Be with those who are working to contain and clean up,
May they be guided and directed.

What a shame that Your creatures should suffer!
Lord, please protect and heal them.
What a shame that Your creation should be damaged!
Lord, please protect and restore it.

As we ourselves are somewhat complicit in this tragedy,
Forgive us for our role in this crisis.
Teach us to reduce our own consumption,
That we might better care for and protect Your creation.

We again acknowledge Your sovereignty.
We pray that Your restorative work would be manifest,
That Your Kingdom come and Your will be done here and now,
That Your name might be glorified in all the earth.

We pray all this in the name of our LORD,
the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of all things.

Amen