Jesus,
You are the architect of the cosmos.
You originate the breath inside every living lung.
And yet, when you came to the world,
the first thing you did was cry.
Teach me to be small as you were small.
The world will not always be gentle.
The powerful will not always show mercy.
Armies will not always halt, and peace will not always hold–
but You hold us,
so teach me to to trust your presence like a fortress.
You are God-with-us,
so be with us as we find you.
When I am overwhelmed by the darkness, teach me to look for the star.
When I am looking for a palace, teach me to look for the stable.
When I despise my own vulnerability, teach me to remember your manger.
When I fear the stranger, teach me to see the face of God.
Whatever I build, may it shelter the lowly.
Whatever I speak, may it comfort the weary.
Wherever I stay, may I make room for the holy.
May the mystery of your humility lead me to love whom you loved.
May the scandal of your grace lead me to love how you loved.
Whether I am in a house full of noise or a room full of silence,
teach me how to live alongside the mystery,
teach me how to find the sacred in the struggle,
teach me how to wield hope like a lantern
to show wanderers where home is.
Jesus, may your presence with us make me like the straw
where those who are looking for rest
can find you.
