Prayer for the Tsunami Victims

By Wilma Jakobsen

Most merciful and compassionate God,

Giver of Life and Love,

hear our prayers

and let our cries come unto you.

We weep with your people in South Asia

We hear the cries of orphaned children and laments of bereaved parents

We feel the desperation of those searching for loved ones

We behold the silence of vanished villages.

We see the devastation.

We are overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.

Our hearts are hushed, our minds are numb.

Let not our hands be stopped, our voices dumb.

God of the universe,

Open our hearts to feel your compassion

Galvanize in us the act of continued giving

Bond us to our sisters and brothers in need

Comfort and heal the injured, the bereaved, the lost

Strengthen the aid workers and medical personnel

Bolster the resolve of governments and those with power to help

Open through this tragedy pathways to partnerships and peace

In Your Name of mercy and healing and compassion we pray,

Amen.

The Rev. Wilma T. Jakobsen is an associate pastor for liturgy and justice at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California. She is a native South African, and previously served as Anglican chaplain at the University of Cape Town. Wilma may be reached by email at wjakobsen@allsaints-pas.org .