A prayer for today

I am sitting at church and in ten minutes we will be doing our zoom Bible study of Matthew 25: 31-46.  It is the judgment scene of the Son of Man who comes in glory and the picture of a King who separates people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

We will talk about the acts of the disciples - that is what we do to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger.  This will definitely relate to the sermon that I just preached on Sunday about the talents and how God wants us to use whatever we have been given to bring the kingdonm of God - the kingdom of Love - on earth.

In the course of my reading commentaries and perusing studies on the internet, I found this poem.  It really speaks to me and I share it now here.

A Fransican blessing from the 20th Century:

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen