62. A Prayer for the People – Jon Batiste

Prompt:

If you were a visitor from another galaxy and you landed in America for the first time today, what would your prayer for the people be?

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Denise Krebs

Location: Manama, Bahrain
About: When Jon Baptiste's alien prayer prompt came up it was a few days after the murder of George Floyd. I imagined a disbelieving alien coming to the U.S.
Age: 61

An Alien Prayer

Oh, God,

Help these people. America is full of emotion and fire right now.

Emotions of despair, outrage, hurt, disappointment, shame, sorrow, hate, disgust, fear, hopelessness, sadness. So many emotions, but especially overwhelming sadness and anger.

Fire. Fire of anger. Fire of cleansing. Fire of Jesus in the temple. Fire. It burns up the old and lays down a bed of ash for a fresh start. This country needs a fresh start. Help them sustain their anger as the fires go out.

In all my travels, God, I have never visited a world at a time when there was so much focused energy on the same theme. They have a collective consciousness, but why so many different beliefs about the white supremacist foundation of their country? How can that be? It seems simple to anyone who has studied history. These people can’t seem to see clearly the obscene inequality that is staring them in the epidermis.

Who has bewitched them? Actually, who wrote their history books might be the right question. Not the same thinkers who wrote history books where I come from. Does white skin affect reason? America needs some serious table upturning, Jesus.

Give joy to the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness. Give anticipated joy to sustain them in their sadness and to keep up the fight. May justice barrel through this land.

Amen