A Prayer a Day: Good morning, God. This morning when I woke up the words of the song, “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” was running through my mind. It triggered a memory from the 1990’s. During the 1990’s there were a group of nuns and a priest, from Precious Blood Catholic Parish in Dayton, Ohio, who went out to places in the community, where people had been murdered to have prayer vigils. People came from all over the area, and from all kinds of religious traditions, to pray, sing, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”, and to ask you, God, to reconsecrate the ground, that had been desecrated by hatred, violence, and blood shed. I attended these vigils frequently, sometimes, more than once a week. The whole event probably lasted about 20 minutes total. The idea of asking you, God, to make holy the world, we have polluted with hatred and violence, seems to be a good one. Last night with the darkness came additional protests, riots, physical confrontations, violence, destruction of property, and expressions of hatred between groups. It isn’t racial division alone; indeed, an impressive number of protesters are white. It is a conflict of race, yes, but also class, financial status, and world view. Everything we are seeing is a result of change too slow in coming, and justice for all seeming never to be coming at all. Lord, only you can help us and save us, as we struggle to think, speak, and behave after the example of Jesus. Please, Holy God, step into this ugly scene and bring your peace, the peace that passes understanding. Come Holy Spirit and make us more Christ-like and more understanding of each other: amen.