Praying for Peace and Justice on September 13 2026
Let us pray.
Holy One,
As we sit with our memories of that gloriously beautiful and most awful day of 9/11/2001 and as we reflect on the deep caring and courage and also the ugly, visceral hatred that was evident that day and in its aftermath, even to this day, we ask your help in learning these ways of living our complex lives in your Creation, practiced by Buddhists all over the world.
Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory or ideology. We are committed to seeing religious teachings as guiding means that help us to develop our understanding and compassion. We understand that fanaticism in its many forms is the result of perceiving things in a dualistic and discriminative manner. We will work at looking at everything with openness and the insight of interbeing in order to transform dogmatism and violence in ourselves and in the world.
Aware that looking deeply at the nature of suffering can help us to develop understanding and compassion, we are determined to come home to ourselves, to recognize, accept, embrace and listen to suffering with the energy of mindfulness. We know we can realize the path leading to the transformation of suffering only when we understand deeply the roots of suffering.
Aware that much suffering is caused by war and conflict, we are determined to cultivate nonviolence, compassion, and the insight of interbeing in our daily lives.
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, we are committed to cultivating generosity in our way of thinking, speaking and acting. We will practice loving kindness by working for the happiness of people, animals, plants and minerals, and sharing our time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.
We ask for your help, Holy One, in living out our desires to engage in these practices so that we may be instruments of peace and justice in your world.
Amen.