Help us remember

Heavenly Father,

Help us remember that the jerk
who cut us off in traffic last night

is a single mother who worked nine hours that day

and was rushing home to cook dinner,
help with homework, do the laundry

and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember
that the pierced, tattoed, disinterested young man

who can't make change correctly

is a worried 19-year-old college student,
balancing his apprehension over final exams

with his fear of not getting

his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Father, that the scary looking bum,

begging for money in the same spot every day

(who really ought to get a job!)

is a slave to addictions

that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking

annoyingly slow through the store aisles

and blocking our shopping progress

are savoring this moment, knowing that,

based on the biopsy report she got back last week,

this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father,

remind us each day that,

of all the gifts you give us,

the greatest gift is love.

It is not enough to share that love

with those we hold dear.

Open our hearts not just to those
who are close to us but to all humanity.

Let us be slow to judgement

and quick to forgiveness and patience

and empathy and love.

Amen!