Loving God,

Our walls are too high
Our gaze is turned inward

We avert danger at the expense of love
We seek ourselves to the extent of losing identity
We focus on living so much that we never truly exist

May the example of your Son be seen among us
May his life be dramatized in the play of our lives
May we improvise according to the story of the suffering king

May we be willing to suffer for the sake of others
May we forfeit our security to shelter another
May we forgo meals to feed the hungry

For we are members of your kingdom

This is the kingdom where the weak are strong
Where those who die actually live
Where the king’s power is found in his humility

Our redemption is found in his suffering

May we realize that the love we receive is more powerful than any worldly throne
May we lose ourselves to save others
May our only gain be known through sacrifice
And our salvation known in the midst of pain

In the name of the king whose most powerful decree came from lungs collapsing from suffocation.