The prayer below is a thankful acknowledgement and celebration of the unique and diverse gifts of our world’s spiritual traditions. It was shared at the G8 Summit. I’m sure those folk won’t mind if we use it. So, help yourselves. It is a beautiful and life affirming prayer.
Reader: We give thanks for the world’s religions and the richness they bring to our lives.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Baha’i brothers and sisters, for their genuine openness and desire for unity.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Buddhist sisters and brothers, for their sense of peace and relinquishing of self.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Christian brothers and sisters, for their message of love and ethic of compassion.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Hindu sisters and brothers, for their openhearted acceptance of others and kindly disposition toward those of other faiths.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Humanist brothers and sisters, for their emphasis on the dignity and worth of all persons.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Muslim sisters and brothers, for their commitment in prayer and faithfulness in worship.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Jain brothers and sisters, for their deep respect for life and practice of nonviolence.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Jewish sisters and brothers, for their enriching symbols of worship and cherishing of tradition.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Aboriginal brothers and sisters, for their reverence of nature and their ancient and still-living culture.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Shinto brothers and sisters, for their affirmation of ritual and awareness of the natural world.
People: We give thanks
Reader: We give thanks for our Sikh sisters and brothers, for their warm hospitality and public witness of faith.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Taoist brothers and sisters, for their sense of the connectedness of all things and pursuit of harmony.
People: We give thanks
Reader: we give thanks for our Unitarian sisters and brothers, for their openness to truth and commitment to freedom, reason and tolerance.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Zoroastrian sisters and brothers, for their devotion to right thought, right speech and right action.
People: We give thanks.
Leader: We give thanks for every faith tradition, named and unnamed, for the variety and richness of their spiritualities, for their united quest for truth, for their common dedication to the pursuit of peace, reconciliation and healing of the spirit.
Congregation: We give thanks. Ever unite us as one community of joy, hope, love and peace. Ever inspire us to live more genuinely and authentically, celebrating diversity, affirming unity, pursing peace, not just for better relations among philosophies, but for a new and more just world. Amen.
There is so much life to be shared and affirmed. Why should we not persue these things? Is the alternative really better? Has the other option really worked? Which makes us better people? These are questions we all have to ask ourselves. No one else will answer them for us …