Praying for Peace and Justice on February 22, 2026
Dear God,
I’m ready to let go of the things I cling to– things I think I know, things I think I need, and things I simply have always had– in the name of serving you better. Help me to see what’s holding me back from gaining momentum toward freedom for all of us, and give me the courage to let it go.
Amen
Background
This year, Ash Wednesday fell on the day after the lunar New Year. In the Chinese calendar, the year we closed was the year of the snake– a year of shedding old versions of ourselves and letting go of what no longer serves us. The year we’re entering in the year of the horse– a year of gaining momentum, shifting into new strength, and seeing freedom with direction. In Lent, we give something up, we shed something, to focus on God.
In social justice work, holding on to certain frameworks, privileges, and mindsets can get in the way of moving forward as one united human body. We have to let go of assumptions that get in our way and hold us apart in order to move forward together.