Contributed By: Rev. Mark Breese
(Download Reflection)

Pastor Mark is the Agency Minister and the VP of Ministry & Community partnerships at Community Missions.

O Holy Creator of the heavens and the earth, on this day of remembrance we ask that you give us wisdom to truly see that we stand in freedom in this great nation because so many have given their lives.

Today we lift up to you our sadness and grief at lives cut short for our sake.

We lift up to you our respect for those we honor today because they were willing to make that sacrifice for us—people whom they had never even met.

We lift up to you our hope and urgent plea—the very hope and plea of those we honor today—that violence and war may pass from the face of the earth and your divine justice and peace shall envelope all creation.

O Holy Creator, fill our minds with your wisdom and our hearts with your love so that—no matter our nationality or political views,

our clan or tribe,
our race or religion,
our gender or orientation,
our wealth or poverty—

so that today we can cease to see difference as an excuse for hatred and violence and that we might see all peoples as our sisters and brothers— part of one human family.

Holy Creator, today as we remember and honor those who gave their lives for us to be able to stand here in freedom and united in prayer, we call on you to strengthen each one of us so that this moment may be a beginning of living with all our neighbors in compassion and love.

Pastor Mark