Sunday reflection on compassion and solidarity

This Sunday reflection comes out of a conversation this morning with my friend, Jim, who told me about two young orphans from Cameroon who helped him to pass out water bottles in the inner city this week. Where the young ones come from, no one is left to fend for themselves as our homeless people do in Canada... their Cameroon community, though considered poor by our standards, gave them homes and raised funds for them to come to Edmonton, where they have new family and community...

Listening to the news this week, I was very aware of the many ways that our Christian judgments of "who is worthy" and "who is not worthy" have created many dangers for our family members who are homeless, dealing with addictions and mental health issues, our immigrants, refugees, trans people and others in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and the many BIPOC Canadians who live here. Basically, people who do not look like me or choose to live or love differently than I do are facing dangers I don't have to face... and so I pray:

O Christ,

please change our hearts.

We are so quick to judge, 

and our judgments divide us from one another.

You came to show us

how to stand 

in radical solidarity

with every person.

From the rich young man

to the most impoverished leper,

centurions, prostitutes, tax collectors,

no matter their circumstances,

you loved everyone.

You love us all.

If we are your disciples,

if we are to follow you

in spirit and truth,

we must

also stand 

in radical solidarity

with every person,

recognizing that all people are

our kin,

whether we agree with the way they live

or not.

Help us to be as loving and supportive as possible

even of those we don't understand.

Help us to recognize

how our privilege blinds us

to the needs of those around us.

Remove our hearts of stone, of apathy

and give us your heart of compassion and

solidarity.

+Amen.