Building Walls: Prayer of Confession May 12

O God of lasting peace,                                                                                                     

We have built up walls

     to protect ourselves from our enemies,

     to protect ourselves from being exposed

          as the flighty, sinful people we are,

     to protect ourselves from hurt pride,

     to protect ourselves from embarrassments,        

     to protect ourselves from seeing the need,

          the loneliness, the suffering in

          our neighbor’s eyes,

to protect ourselves from getting our hands messy

          by working with orphans, the homeless,

          the drug addicts, the convicts, the mutilated,

to protect ourselves from worldly ridicule

         for loving and worshiping You.

Lord, those same walls have also confined us.

They have shut us off from receiving Your love,

     from seeing the needs of others,

     from following and serving You

          as You expect us to follow You.

Break down those walls we have built.

Help us to see that the way to Your heart

      is through reconciling our own hearts

             with the hearts of our enemies.

Bless our enemies and bless us.

Teach us to value and love each other.

Teach us to find great joy in our relationships.

Teach us to feel with our emotions and our hearts

     as well as with our hands.

Let our love for You grow and become more evident

     to others.            In Christ’s name, I pray,  Amen.