Today, I have one of my poetic prayers from my recent book In a World of Tears & Sorrow. Use it to ask for God’s help in tackling and overcoming the prejudice, including racism, that so tragically and cruelly still divides so many places in our world today.
The world is cruelly broken
by prejudice and fear,
by hatred of ‘the other’
and all that they hold dear.
Some ridicule and harass;
some publicly condemn;
some close their minds to others –
see only ‘us’ and ‘them’.
A person’s sex or gender,
the colour of their skin,
the culture that they come from,
the creed they follow in –
so much that should enrich us
bring bitterness instead –
a world of angry factions
and people seeing red.
Where prejudice is rampant,
where ignorance divides,
where differences estrange us,
entrenching warring sides,
bring openness of spirit,
a softening of views –
the wit to think more deeply
and stand in others’ shoes.