Dear God,
I hope this letter finds You well. I am sure You are overwhelmed and exhausted managing all of humanity and eternity. I don’t envy the job You have.
I have been struggling with what is happening on planet earth and I want to apologize on behalf of all humans in every part of the world for the atrocities we are orchestrating and lack of love we are demonstrating, which goes against what You hope for your people. I am not naïve or unintelligent; I recognize the disagreements individuals, families, states, principalities, and countries have with one another are complicated matters, many of which are generations old, and my witness and participation at this brief moment in time is like a single drop of water in an expansive ocean. But history should not excuse today’s evil.
I apologize for the lack of respect we have for one another. In conversations we have in person, on social media, and on a global scale, we talk with disdain and without listening, we endorse vitriolic commentary, believe inaccurate and misleading propaganda, and we consistently fail to acknowledge that our way may not be the only way. I apologize that our human race continues to persecute people who are different from themselves instead of celebrating our incredible and wonderful diversity.
Humans are stupid, some more than others. I apologize for the extremely narcissistic personalities who feel it is their right to behave like F5 tornados so they may claim continent-sized parts of human earth. I apologize that as humans we are rarely satisfied with what we have and always want more. We are bombing, killing, mutilating, sexually assaulting, and starving fellow humans every second of every day. We are terrorizing innocent and hope-filled children, compromising their future potential to be healthy and happy. We are scamming, sabotaging, and stealing from one another, committing petty crimes and crimes against humanity. We are destroying what human hands have built, creating situations where we are left to utilize our limited resources to rebuild that which we had the choice not to ruin in the first place. We are devastating so much of what is beautiful in our world.
I apologize that we are not treating others as we would like to be treated, and that we are not acknowledging that the people we are hurting have a name, personality, and soul. They have families who love them, just as we have families who love us. (And for those humans who have not yet experienced love, please give them someone to love and someone who will love them in return.) I apologize for the vocabulary we use when we justify our violence, words like revenge and retribution, and how infrequently we use words like reconciliation and restitution.
I apologize, on behalf of humanity, for our not knowing how to stop the insanity we have started, or for our knowing how to make it stop and not taking those steps. I am so frustrated that I do not have a magic wand to wave, which is why I am writing to You today. Would You please go above and beyond in touching the hearts of the people who believe in You to encourage peace? Would You please change the hearts of leaders who are trying to wipe out entire nations and ethnic groups because they think they are a superior people?
I call you God, but whether you answer to God, Brahman, Allah, Yahweh, the Great Spirit, or the other more than 2,500 names for modern deities, I honestly feel like You are in a unique position to change the world. I realize we have not given You much to work with, and we certainly don’t inspire confidence, but I know You believe that good shall overcome evil, which means You have hope that we can be changed. On behalf of the whole human race, I apologize to You for our royally messing up the earth and for hurting one another so deeply and I beg, on behalf of all humans, for Your forgiveness and Your help.
When my son Matthew was eight years old, he prayed to You, God, a prayer that was so raw and honest. I am sure you remember it: “Dear God, thanks for all the interesting experiences today. Alex burned her leg on an exhaust pipe. Babi broke her leg. Why do you let this stuff happen? Fix it”. I love that he embraced sarcasm at a young age, I love that he had the confidence to ask You the question “why do bad things happen to good people?”, and I love that he had faith and believed You could fix it all. I echo his prayer today, Lord. Please fix this hurt and broken world.
While I have your attention, I would like to take this opportunity to thank You for the beautiful leaves on the trees that are changing color despite the violence that is happening in the world; for the scarlet red cardinal who sits on my windowsill in the morning and waits for me to feed him, sublimely unaware that there are children suffering; and for the warmth of the sun on my face. The planet spins and the sun rises and sets on a world that continues to struggle and disappoint. But I thank You for these joyful reminders that You are indeed powerful and loving, and the maker of miracles.
Grateful that You, a God of many names, are ever present and a source of comfort and strength for the humans who believe in You.
With love, gratitude, and hope,
Cyndy
P.S. While You are fixing humanity, would You please put a temporary hold on the many natural disasters that are occurring, just so we can catch our breath? That would be awesome.
Really enjoyed this Cyndy
Thank you
Amen! Such a beautiful, honest, and needed prayer!
Awesome, Cyndy. I am sharing your link with my friends in Asheville. All the best, Elsie
And THAT is why I love you CYNDY! We need more Cyndys in this world ❤️😘
Wonderful piece. And for someoen living in South Florida, yes a break from the storms is very much appreciated.