A Prayer for a Just Society, Soon and in Our Days
(c) Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Offered March 25, 2014 in the US Capitol Building in collaboration with the holy work of JubileeUSA and FactCoalition
Dear God,
We ask for Your help tonight. Help us remember to see Your Image reflected in the faces of every human being. Inspire the work of our leaders to love You by loving each other, to honor You by honoring those most vulnerable in our world.
We are united tonight, acknowledging that every voice on every side of every issue is obligated as one to start the work of ending our systemic empowerment of abusive, faceless corporations, to continue the work of healing our nation from pervasive economic inequality, and to do everything in our power to eradicate interpersonal indignity, wherever it continues to exist within our legal tradition.
Please, Eternal One, imbue our halls of law and our halls of justice with righteous egalitarianism, with equal justice and protection, with compassion that overpowers greed.
Remind us, Source of Life, that people living in capitalist societies are called to use moral language like "obligation" and "responsibility" as fundamental aspects of business plans.
Give us the strength to keep fierce feeling alive in our souls. Justice work can be exhausting, leadership can be distracted, and we can too easily feel shut down by the weight of the world on our shoulders. But we know, Dear God, deep in our souls, that this burden we are blessed to share with You.
God, Remind us of our holy power to feel fiercely and act in solidarity with every one of Your infinite human reflections, everywhere in Your world. With Your Spirit pulsing in our bodies, God, we stand more able, more hopeful, more alive. The abundance of life pulsing in our bodies obligates us to call out for justice. And so we call out, and shout, and march, and act, remembering that your prophets have taught us that:
"While some are guilty, all are responsible." (Heschel)
We know that we are responsible.
"Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right." (Ps. 106)
We wish to be so blessed.
Grace us, God. Please. We need more hope than ever so that we can achieve justice for more people than have it today.
We ask You, God, to support elected officials, religious leaders, and business owners alike, gay and straight alike, atheists and faithful alike, as we aim to dignify the rich and the poor - alike.
Right here and right now, with each other as witnesses, we pledge stand as part of the sacred effort.
May this year be a better one throughout this Nation, and throughout Your Creation, thanks to the actions You call upon us to take on behalf of the most vulnerable, each one a sparkling, dignified reflection of You.
Amen.
-------
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
▶menachemcreditor.org ▶netivotshalom.org
To join Rabbi Creditor's email list, send a blank email to thetisch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com!