Lord, in our shock and confusion, we come before you. In our grief and despair in the midst of hate,in our sense of helplessness in the face of violence, we lean on you.
For the families of those who have been killed we pray.
For the shooter's family, help us to pray, Lord.
For the communities that have lost members-their anger, grief, fear we pray.
For the churches striving to be your light in darkness beyond our comprehension, we pray.
In the face of hatred, may we claim love, Lord. May we love those far off and those near.
May we love those who are strangers and those who are friends. May we love those who we agree with and understand, and even more so, Lord, those who we consider to be our enemies.
Years of images of violence have dulled our senses.
Another incident? We don't even flinch anymore.
We who are numb confess our numbness and ask for your forgiveness. Sharpen our senses. Cause us to care, even if that means feeling the pain of heartbreaking sadness. Teach us empathy. Help us weep with those who weep.
Lord of all, gather us up-your creatures, your world-
And show us the best ways to bring an end to the violence.
In the Name of the one we call the Prince of Peace we pray, AMEN.