I have no words.
I have nothing to say after the murders in Uvalde, after the racist killings in Buffalo, in response to the ongoing grief and loss in Ukraine.
There are enough people talking. A lot of people making noise that sounds like “never again,” but without any accompanying action.
There are many people who say that this is unpreventable, unstoppable, inevitable.
There are some people who are offering profound, heartfelt prayers and tender words to comfort those whose lives have been changed forever.
But I have no words.
I have no original, insightful, wise words that will make this better.
I do believe that we must draw close to God, to the source of life and love, so that our spirits will not be drained by the hate and evil that surround us. Let us fill our souls with the promise that God’s love is stronger than our fear. Let us remember that God has promised never to leave us or forsake us.
And armed with those promises and filled with God’s love and new life, let us go into those places of loss and sorrow to offer not words, but a listening ear, a caring heart, and a supporting hand.
Let us embody the love of God, who is always with us.
Instead of my words, I will share a prayer that speaks to my heart. This is a “caim” prayer – a prayer for God’s love and blessing to encircle those in need. These words can be offered for anyone we carry in our hearts, especially when we have no words.
Circle them, Lord. Keep comfort near and discouragement far.
Keep peace within and turmoil out.
Circle them, Lord. Keep protection near and danger afar.
Circle them, Lord. Keep hope within, keep despair without.
Circle them, Lord. Keep light near and darkness afar.
Circle them, Lord. Keep peace within and anxiety without.
The eternal Creator, Son and Holy Spirit shield them on every side.
Amen.
Caim prayer: (Celtic Daily Prayer, p. 297).
fosteringyourfaith 
I HAVE MADE A COPY TO SHARE WITH A 90 YEAR OLD MAN LIVING IN THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY WHERE i AM IN SOUTHWICK, MA. HE HAS LOST SLEEP OVER THIS WEEK’S TRAGEDIES. THANK YOU, SUE FOR SHARING THIS LOVING, COMFORTING PRAYER. IN FACT, YOU HAD SOMETHING TO SAY. “Let there be peace on earth…k” and in our spirits. Shirley Anderson
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Shirley, it is so good to hear from you. Amen – let there be peace on earth. Wishing you all the best.
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You are right – there are no words, because words have brought us nowhere except to this place where there are too many dead children and too many guns, too many people who refuse to stand up for what is right and just, too many prayers and not enough deeds, too many politicians who care only for their pocketbooks and being re-elected and too many deaf ears to the majority of Americans who want gun control. – Sorry for the rant – just angry and frustrated and feeling impotent. Circle me O God with a sense of how we can fix this together.
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Thank you, Howard Amen- let us find a way forward to fix this senseless tragedy.
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