In The Wake of Another School Shooting

Our God, my God,

God who walks with us through the trials and the dangers of our lives,

God who grieves with us as we weep over our losses,

God who keeps the gates open long enough for each person to atone for their failings and to commit to improving,

God who chastises us when we were selfish,

God who pushes us toward righteousness,

Our God, my God,

I call out to You today and ask that you fill our hearts and the hearts of our leaders with an unceasing drive to do whatever is necessary to keep us from experiencing this kind of tragedy again.

I ask that You protect us from becoming numb to the pain that inaction brings.

I ask that whoever sends You their thoughts and their prayers receives a reply filled with the knowledge that we don’t need miracles to stop this from happening and that we are capable of making the necessary changes.

God of our mothers, our fathers, our sisters, our brothers, our teachers, our students, our friends, and our neighbors,

Our God, my God,

We are stiff-necked and stubborn. But, I know that we can be more, that we can do more, and that we can’t wait even a moment to start making these changes.

God, I ask that You, “Watch over us as we go forth [and] prepare for us as we return.”

But, God, I also promise You that we will transform Your sukkat shalom, Your shelter of peace, into a quilt made from the contributions, the actions, of all people.

Our God, my God,

You will not bear the burden of holding that protective canopy alone any longer.