The Last Five Years

I've been trying to figure out how to best express my feelings about the upcoming five year anniversary of the war in Iraq. I feel anger, sorrow, sympathy, horror, and untold other emotions. But, when I received a message from Rev. John Thomas, The United Church of Christ, my head felt clear. He included a prayer written by Rev. Yousif al Saka, an elder in the Presbyterian Church in Baghdad. The prayer encompasses all of my sincerest desires, not only for the Iraqi people, but truly for all of creation.

I was not raised in a tradition of reading composed prayers. We would shoot from the hip and speak as we felt led. But as I grow in my faith, I realize that prayers are just like all other words. Sometimes we choose them far better after thoughtful meditation. And, just like other words, the words of a prayer have strength which can be enforced by repetition (recall the teacher who said over and over again: this WILL be on the test.) I want to save the words of this prayer and make them available for anyone wishing to both express sorrow and yearn for hope in this world where we may feel out of control.

Here is Reverend Yousif al Saka's prayer:

We beseech You, we humble ourselves for the name of our Savior Jesus Christ,
to send your Holy Spirit to shade the land of Iraq,
so that peace may
prevail in its dwellings, and the acts of violence, kidnapping and persecution
may cease;
so that the displaced may return to their homes, the churches may
reopen their gates without fear from shells and explosion;
so that smiles
may be seen again on the faces of children that have been stolen from them here
in this difficult time;
so that the elderly may lean back on their chairs in
comfort and tranquility saying farewell to their children when leaving for
school or work without anxiety or fear;
so that mothers think only of happy,
prosperous, and peaceful futures for their daughters and sons.

O Lord, have pity on us, we Iraqis. Let the light of
your face shine on us, bless us, strengthen our belief, and bestow patience upon
us.