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Two Challenging Prayers from South Africa

Some of you may already be familiar with these prayers. They were sent to ALMA by the Angolan peace campaigner Luis Samcumbi, who spoke at an ALMA Reps meeting in December 2007.

O Lord,

Open my eyes that I may see the needs of others;

Open my ears that I may hear their cries;

Open my heart so that they need not be without succour.

Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong;

nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.

Show me where love and hope and faith are needed

and use me to bring them to those places.

And so open my eyes and my ears that I may this coming day

be able to do some work of peace for thee. Amen.

Alan Paton

You asked for my hands

that you might use them for your purpose.

I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them

for the work was hard.

You asked for my mouth

to speak out against injustice.

I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused.

You asked for my eyes

to see the pain of poverty.

I closed them for I did not want to see.

You asked for my life

that you might work through me.

I gave a small part that I might not get too involved.

Lord forgive my calculated efforts to serve you

only when it is convenient for me to do so,

only in those places where it is safe to do so,

and only with those who make it easy to do so.

Lord, forgive me, renew me,

send me out as a usable instrument

that I might take seriously the meaning of your cross. Amen.

Joe Seremane