photo credit: Eyasu Etsub
Kyrie Eleison.
God, we have no sufficient words.
Yet we lift up the community of Robb Elementary in Uvalde here in Texas. We lift up all the precious children, the brave teachers and the grandmother whose lives have been robbed, dear God. We mourn with broken hearts that which should not be. This should not be. We beg that you bring support to surround and envelop every family member, every parent, every Robb Elementary teacher and school employee and volunteer, every loved one of those who have passed, who are enduring a day beyond comprehension.
We pray fervently for the healing of those who are in the hospital right now, fighting for their lives in the aftermath of this tragedy.
God we cry out for the brokenness, we mourn the light that went out in the soul who found himself causing this destruction.
God, we ask that You would provide Peace which surpasses understanding, consistent comfort, to the children and staff who have lived through this day and who will forever be affected by this experience. We ask you for healing. For connection. For resilience. May we hold hope for them when they need it, both now and many years into the future.
God, we ask that You make Your presence known to the families, to the loved ones of those affected directly by this day. Usher them to a place of connection as a community. Bring evidence of Your care into their midst, as they both process their trauma around this event, and in turn care for others they love who have primary trauma as well.
We ask that You give the baseline necessary to emergency workers, to medical staff, to therapists, counselors, pastors and any helper who might be called to walk with those in suffering now and into the future in the Uvalde community. Give them the strength, the resolve, the energy, the opportunities for rest and resilience from which to pour into others.
In the midst of this, loving God, we ask that those who have faced all too many tragedies involving public violence, particularly in schools like Sandy Hook or Columbine, might be met by others with immense tenderness today.
And of course, dear God, we ask that you'd give us hearts of enduring compassion for those who have faced unspeakable suffering of this nature. Whether we feel like bystanders, or are veteran or aspiring activists, or find ourselves unsure of how to respond, I implore you would grant us resolve and a spirit of response in the best ways we might muster as a means of advocacy for our neighbors across our nation impacted by senseless violence.
Amen.