Friday, August 26, 2005

My Grandmother's Prayer

This is one of my Grandmother's favorite prayers. One of her well-known statements was "Why don't we have a Department of Peace?" She was an awesome woman!

Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges,
the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out
and fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us
wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog
so that we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness of the sun
melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys
and feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun be so strong
that we will see all people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
Amen.

“A Prayer for the World”
Written by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
Author, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”

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