Sixteen women prayed together for peace—without ever meeting—and they created this prayer for the whole world. They followed John Philip Newell’s call in Praying for Peace and each contributed lines beginning with the words, “Open my eyes to …” Collected here, they form a litany that we invite the world to pray with us.
The women began their notes invoking God in many ways and by many names. Feel free to open your own version of this prayer with an invocation from your tradition.
Open My Eyes to God’s Diversity
By the women of WISDOM
Open my eyes to …
Peaceful things in life.
Songs of peace.
Seeds of understanding.
Goodness in all people.
The spirit of each human being I encounter today.
Open my eyes to …
The world around me.
Needs around me.
Outer appearances that can mislead.
Dangers of injustice and misunderstanding.
People we need to understand.
The hunger and thirst of our sisters and brothers.
Open my eyes to …
The larger world.
The value of women everywhere.
Open my eyes to …
All the people God loves.
All the species God cares about on this earth.
The beauty and abundance of God’s creation.
The grandeur of God’s creation in every person, place and thing.
Open my eyes to …
Love around us.
The face of God in those we meet.
The Divine source of goodness in all peoples.
The Good that is available everywhere.
The power of forgiveness.
Guide me so that I don’t stand idly by.
Guide me to help according to Your will.
Guide me to know the difference between what I want and what I need.
Dispel the delusion that someone else is responsible for my community, my nation and my world.
Open my eyes to this new day and free me from the limitations of yesterday.
Open my eyes to …
The warmth of interfaith gatherings that build respect and understanding.
The potential in each of us to cross divides and build new friendships.
Open my eyes to …
God’s diversity.
SPECIAL THANKS TO Shahina Begg, Jean T. Booms, Paula Drewek, Elaine Greenberg, Patricia Harris, Mares Hirchert, Motoko Huthwaite, Gail Katz, Susan Lalain, Sofia Latif, Cassandra Mudloff, Anne Nachazel, Brenda Naomi Rosenberg, Betsy Ross, Sheri Schiff, Debra Seehaver and Debbie Valencia.
IF YOU DID NOT SEE YOUR CONTRIBUTION IN THIS PRAYER, we apologize. Readers flooded us with responses this week and it was difficult to keep up with all of the emails. We are carefully collecting and weaving together these responses to share with readers. A second prayer was published today, as well, in the main pages of ReadTheSpirit.
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(Originally published at www.FriendshipAndFaith.com)
