Dear Lord

On this special day we pray for peace
Not an ordinary peace for an unordinary time
But a peace born of the Spirit
Separating us from the false adoration of the season
Based on self-love, greed, and seeming care for others.

We ask for deliverance from the spirit of consumerism
That blinds us to the true spirit of Jesus
Who allowed Himself to be given to the world
First as a babe, then as a lamb to atone for the sin
He did not bring into the world.

Give us the insight to understand that all the Legos,
TVs, and other consumer goods in the world mean
Nothing in the eyes of God
As the birth of His Son was never intended to be an occasion
Of self-gratification (it’s not our birthday, but Jesus’).

We pray for strength to reach out to others as did Jesus
To feed, heal, bless, and uplift others 
Who have lost the vision and hope of a better world
A world based on dignity and love for our neighbors
Desperately needing a reason to carry on.

Quiet our hearts O Father, that we may hear you
Still our anxieties that we may share Your love
Banish our feeble, misguided understandings of
Your plan for humanity
That we may prepare to live with You forever.

Amen

Chris Thompson
December 25, 2021