A prayer for times of violence and despair

Holy and mysterious God,

 be present with us in these times of distress.   

Comfort us.   

Walk with us through the tragedy of the violence. 

Help us see our role in the violence of this world.

 Let us not be agents of injustice,

 not be spectators to tragedy,

 but help us be part of the healing. 

Tenderly hold our grief, fear, and disappointment

 in your loving arms.

 Help us to see your hand

 at work in the world around us,

 restoring the broken places of

 our lives and world

 to the wholeness you desire. 

Show us how we can be

 your hands in the world.

 Direct us to recognize how we can help.

 Enable us,

 through your Holy Spirit 

to mend the tattered shards of despair

 into a cloth of comfort and hope. 

Guide our hearts and minds

 that our anger 

can become compassion,

 our fear

 turn into acts of grace. 

May our despair 

become

 acts of loving resurrection and reconciliation. 

Be known to us, O God,

 in the random acts of kindness. 

Amen.