The Kingdom Come

I was having trouble finding words to pray this morning, so I prayed the familiar words that I’ve prayed since I was young. And as I prayed, the Spirit infused them with prophetic lament and a call to action.

”Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done
On Earth, as it is in Heaven.”

This is a prayer of protest. It’s reorientation prayer and an invitation prayer. It’s a prayer that grieves and laments the evil that is present in the already, not yet. It’s a prayer that convicts me, and gives me eyes to see my participation in the continuation of the curse. It’s a prayer that begs for imagination and the courage to act on that imagination. It’s a prayer that reverses the curse that we see playing out all around us. It’s a prayer of activation. It’s not both/and, both sides, nuance prayer. It’s a prayer that cries out for a different King and a different Kingdom to be present in the midst of suffering, injustice and evil.

And as I cried out, praying this prayer, Our Father said, “I am with you. Go. Don’t just sit there. This isn’t a time for complacency. Listen to your brothers and sisters of color. Really listen and believe them. Learn from them. Then use your voice. Give your money. Stand up. Sacrifice. Overturn injustice. Join me in making all things new.”