Prayer

Creator God, When you became one of us in the person of Jesus, we believe that you made the most powerful statement of all time. You speak with deeds -we speak in words. In becoming one of us, you said "If you want to know what I look like in your world, look at people." People are the most profound expression of God in our world of space and time. And so human beings, each in a unique and most precious way -not by what they do or what they say, but simply by their presence - makes a statement unique to him or herself about God.

If this be true, at this, the start of a new year, we ask that we as individuals and as a nation commit ourselves to respecting the God in every human being, no matter how cleverly each has disguised him. Help us so to respect one another that war and violence become as antiquated as dinosaurs. In our highly complicated world, awaken us to the wisdom of the prophet. "There is only one thing God asks of you. This alone, to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God."

-- The Rev. Mark DeNardo