A, B, C, D, E, F, G
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear … though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. – Psalm 46:1-2 (NRSV)
In a pastoral letter years ago, an Episcopal bishop told this story:
A man was caught in an earthquake. Terrified, he tried to pray but couldn’t find any words. He’d heard and spoken countless prayers in his lifetime, but in his panic, couldn’t recall even one. So he recited the only thing that popped into his head. He fervently prayed the alphabet. “A, b, c, d, e, f, g…”
It was the most genuine prayer of his life, and there can be no doubt God heard him.
These days, lots of us can’t focus. The ground beneath us is shaky. The menace seems real. So too the dread. The world feels incoherent. So are we. We cope with the anxiety as best we can, paying loving attention to each day’s holy details, clinging to each other in solidarity, mustering tidbits of hope from our own and others’ deep reserves of faith, trying to keep loving no matter what, determined not to lose track of the gospel.
This is a good way to live these earthquake-y days. It’s also exhausting. So this is no time to be worried about finding suitable words and sounding all put together. It’s not the moment, if there ever was one, to perform perfectly or prove anything to anyone, to strike just the right tone or give the right answer. It’s a time to be real, and to let that be the good thing it is.
We’re back to basics now, as the world lurches and shakes. If “l, m, n, o, p…” is the only prayer you can manage, surely God receives it. Pray it with all your heart.
Prayer
O God, “A, b, c, d, e, f, g….”
About the AuthorMary Luti is a long time seminary educator and pastor, author of Teresa of Avila’s Way and numerous articles, and founding member of The Daughters of Abraham, a national network of interfaith women’s book groups.