Image by https://www.cop27.eg/assets/img/cop27-logo.svg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72213177
Our Missioner for Climate Care and Climate Justice, John Kydd, is part of The Episcopal Church’s delegation to COP27.
John shares the following reflections and prayer:
If possible I’d like the prayers to go toward the very important (and much avoided issue by the US) of loss and damages, which concerns compensation for irreparable losses which are now occurring at an alarming pace.
[Below] is a prayer for repair which broaches loss and damage in prayer. It is most needed in the next 48 hours and hopefully for longer if the door is not shut like it was in Scotland.
A Prayer for Repair
Holy Creator, we admit that our use of fossil fuels has harmed your Sacred Creation.
Our use has harmed
the waters you separated into sky and sea,
the Earth you caused to appear,
your creatures that swarm the waters,
your winged of every kind,
your myriad creatures of the land and
the humankind you charged with the care of all
you found good.
We pray to recognize that the prosperity
we have gained from fossil fuel use
has inflicted loss and damage
upon the lives and livelihoods of others.
We pray today for a way to knit
what’s been torn asunder.
Give us the strength to embrace our harm
as the first step in healing.
Give us today the fierce faith
that what human hands have done,
human hands can undo.
Give us the courage to act
and to ask
our governments to share
in the repair.
Help us know that we are each blessed
with great power
where every reparation we make,
heals,
and every reparation we forsake,
harms,
generations to come
Give us today the holy certainty
that repairing Creation
is repairing ourselves
and that God’s peace awaits
all who act.
