Day 114: A Week of Prayer for Our Nation in Crisis - A Prayer for Social Justice

DAY 114

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

Week Seventeen – Monday 6 July 2020

A WEEK OF PRAYER FOR OUR NATION IN CRISIS

A Prayer for Social Justice

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions be healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer: Prayers for the Social Order

“Commissioners and advisory delegates to the 224^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA meeting in Baltimore, Maryland the last week of June 2020, say it’s time for the church to step up and act during these times of racial injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Assembly devoted nearly five hours of one day debating the church’s response during these national and international crises … . We believe the work of attending to the pain, suffering, and long-standing oppression of our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) siblings in Christ is central to our work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” - From a news release from the Office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA

    

In the 2008 movie “Changeling,” John Malkovich plays the Rev. Gustave Briegleb, the pastor of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. The other primary role in this movie produced by Clint Eastwood is played by Angelina Jolie. Set in Los Angeles in 1928, it tells the true story of ruthless corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department and a horrendous crime they tried to cover up. It was this courageous Presbyterian pastor who single-handedly led the exposure of both corruption and crime. I left the theater thinking that this was a demonstration of one of our strengths in the Presbyterian Church USA. Whether it was Rev. Briegleb in 1928 or our own General Assembly this month, zeal for social righteousness “is central to our work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Pray again the prayer above: what does it say to you personally?  

Reflective question: Will you watch the movie “Changeling” and ask the Lord what He wants you to learn from it in terms of your relationship with things that are wrong in our community?

Reflective Scripture: Proverbs 18:5 – “It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice.”

Reflective hymn:

“God of Grace and God of Glory” – Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)

Set our feet on lofty places; gird our lives that they may be

Armored with all Christ-like graces in the fight to set men free.

Grant us wisdom; grant us courage; that we fail not man nor thee.