Prayer for October 20, 2021

Prayer for October 20, 2021: Please pray with me. God who comforts and afflicts, what shall we say? We want to always see ourselves as afflicted, seeking comfort. Yet how true is this? Why do we run from the reality that sometimes we are the cause of discomfort to others and ourselves. In those times we don’t need comfort, we need to be afflicted – to let go of these unhealthy ways that harm. We need to be afflicted when we participate in unhealthy systems and prop them up because they promise us comfort. In reality they don’t. They lie to us. As long as someone is suffering, we all suffer whether we admit it or not, whether we recognize it or not. Forgive us when we turn away from discomfort – especially the discomfort that others are in. Afflict our hearts to respond in love and provide comfort. Amen.

Call to action: Do you see yourself as more often than not afflicted or comfortable? If you have a roof over your head, a steady supply of food, entertainment at your fingertips, no worry about going out in public due to your skin color, your religion, your language, your nationality, etc. then are you really afflicted? How might you need to be afflicted?