Several of you asked about the prayer I wrote for Sunday’s communion meditation. Here it is…
Jesus said, “I am coming soon.”
To which John the Revelator replied, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
Amen, indeed.
Because when Jesus comes he will bring justice and peace and an end to the evil that has crushed our nation this past week.
And so we say, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.”
Come and heal our broken spirits.
For as we are still processing the racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, another mass shooter callously turns his guns toward children.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Children, with smiling faces.
Children, with playful and joyous hearts.
Children, with malice toward none.
Children, with their whole lives in front of them.
Children, whose lives are now gone.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Evil has once again revealed how dark it can be.
Evil has reminded us of how deep it can seep into the human heart.
Evil makes us cry out…
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Because this isn’t the only story of evil this week.
The headlines tell us stories of sexual abuse, abuses of power, murder, theft, assault, neglect, greed, deceit, and the like.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
But it’s the pictures of those children that I still see.
And my head says, “Enough!”
But my heart says, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.”
Because you’re the only one who can set right what has gone so terribly wrong.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Come, and heal the brokenness of humanity.
Come, and fix the fallenness of the human heart.
Come, and bind our wounds.
Come, and bring us peace.
Come, for we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Come, and put an end to evil.
Come, and put an end to sin.
Come, and put an end to death.
All the things that your death on the cross promises to bring.
And that’s why we pause now to eat this communion meal.
For Scripture says that “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Amen.
rusty tugman 