It is easy to cry peace
This appears as a suggested prayer in the 2023 Migration Worship and Resource Pack
(TW added by Worship Words: Reference to rape and torture)
It is easy to cry ‘peace’
when we are not oppressed by tyranny.
It is easy to invoke patience
when our loved ones are not in chains.
It is easy to call for restraint
when our children are free from fear.
It is easy to be even-handed
when our sister is not being raped
and our brother is not being tortured.
It is easy to mouth smooth pieties
when cruelty and injustice are not before our eyes.
It is easy to quibble about legalities
when we have laws that protect us.
It is easy to debate rights and liberties
when terrorists haven’t strewn our streets
with bloody, broken bodies.
It is easy to light candles
when our family isn’t burning,
or to sing sweet songs when hatred
isn’t screaming in our ears.
It is easy to be sure
when we are far away,
safe in our certainties.
Spirit of Love, don’t let us use you
to excuse our failure to relieve those
who suffer torment at human hands,
or to make a difference when we can.
Help us to do what we can, where we are.
Amen
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