God,
One hundred twenty-eight.
Some new, some old.
Some enrage. Some inspire.
Some with me and mine. Some with them—still us.
Help us to remember.
And each one has a name and face.
Remember all—I cannot.
And here: I dare not list each one.
Yes, they are yours. And yes, they are ours.
Yes, each one in need of prayer.
But a list will not help me.
I scroll past, skim through. Whisper generic good for all.
Maybe some are more righteous than me.
How do you keep track of eight billion?
But I can pray for trends:
Bless those who come with noble aims, for whom ‘kulun yani’ kul shi.*
Now among 128. Do they join in or holdout with nose up?
God, guide them well, for change must come. New blood renews the languid.
But guide them wise, their number weak, no matter how much rising.
Bless those who come with single mind, that weapons rig the system.
Their number up, the platform theirs. Discussion, tabled, threatening.
But is it time? And can they win? What consequences suffered?
To themselves? Or to the south? Or to nation collapsing?
Bless those who lost the upper hand, who still promote their project.
Calls for reform, resistance true, with forces piled against them.
But humbled, may they humble still. Others strong. All servants?
Bless those of old, the way things were. And likely still are, maybe.
They care for own, protect their flock. Distribute jobs and money.
Should it all be swept aside? Can they sustain the model?
With ever shrinking slice of pie, help them to help all others.
Renew, or rig?
Reform, or rile?
Among each group – dishonest.
We asked before: Remove such men.
But wheat and chaff still present.
Bless them also. Change their ways. And bind manipulation.
But now we have them. So change me too.
For each one, make us thankful.
They came from you. They came from us. They now are the solution.
Help me to pray—by name—for some.
The rest, God, shepherd. Lead them.
Amen.
*The popular chant of the 2019 uprising was: All of them means all of them. Here, the phrase is adjusted to: ‘All of them means’ everything.
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Lebanon Prayer places before God the major events of the previous week, asking his favor for the nation living through them.
It seeks for values common to all, however differently some might apply them. It honors all who strive on her behalf, however suspect some may find them.
It offers no solutions, but desires peace, justice, and reconciliation. It favors no party, but seeks transparency, consensus, and national sovereignty.
How God sorts these out is his business. Consider joining in prayer that God will bless the people and establish his principles, from which all our approximations derive.
Sometimes prayer can generate more prayer. While mine is for general principles, you may have very specific hopes for Lebanon. You are welcome to post these here as comments, that others might pray with you as you place your desires before God.
If you wish to share your own prayer, please adhere to the following guidelines:
1) The sincerest prayers are before God alone. Please consult with God before posting anything.
2) If a prayer of hope, strive to express a collective encouragement.
3) If a prayer of lament, strive to express a collective grief.
4) If a prayer of anger, refrain from criticizing specific people, parties, sects, or nations. While it may be appropriate, save these for your prayers alone before God.
5) In every prayer, do your best to include a blessing.
I will do my best to moderate accordingly. Thank you for praying for Lebanon and her people.
Jayson Casper 