As Rosh Hashanah approaches and news alerts flash,
We pray, we worry, we watch, and we hope.
We pray that these flames will not erupt into a bonfire.
We pray for the return of hostages.
We pray for all in the region to be spared the terror of bombs and bullets and for just and lasting peace.
We worry about leaders who may bend the arc of history toward chaos.
We worry for loved ones – of all religions and all nationalities –
That they could lose their lives,
That they could lose their humanity.
We watch with concern for our tribe in The Land and our tribe in this land,
For the safety of our own kin and the safety of all God’s children:
The sages teach that no one’s blood is redder.
We hope for calm during the Days of Awe.
We hope for quiet phones and a loud shofar’s call.
We hope because the hour calls for it.
We hope because we must.
May we write ourselves and all of creation into the Book of Life.
Resources for this moment:
Prayer for Guidance and Protection in Times of Fear
It is challenging to find words when we feel overcome with fear. Karen Erlichman, D.Min., LCSW, shares a prayer that acknowledges how in times of ‘turbulence, sickness and violence’, we may seek protection from a Divine Source.
Pervasive Peace
Although we are entering the New Year with war and destruction occurring, we can still pray for a ‘pervasive and complete peace.’ Poet Alden Solovy’s words resonate with that yearning.
