JWJ Readers:

As America votes, here are 12 poem-prayers that have offered me prophetic challenge and pastoral consolation.

Daniel Berrigan, To Saint Peter Claver: "... Institution, constitution, order, law. Your Holy Spirit, come!"

Walter Brueggeman, Dreams and Nightmares: "... Come among us this day, dream us toward health and peace."

William Cowper, God Moves in Mysterious Ways: "... Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take."

Laura Kelly Fanucci, When This is Over: "... When this ends may we find that we have become more like the people we wanted to be and were called to be."

St. Francis, The Peace Prayer: "... Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace."

Seamus Heaney, Voices from Lemnos: "... When hope and history rhyme."

Langston Hughes, Dreams: "... Hold fast to dreams."

Jane Wilson Joyce, Crazy Quilt: "... Dear Lord, patch this work, quilt us together."

Denise Levertov, Making Peace: "... to oust the intense, familiar imagination of disaster."

Padraig O Tuama: Shaking Hands: "... Because what's the alternative?"

Ken Untener: A Future Not Our Own: "... to step back and take a long view."

William Butler Yeats: Politics: "... How can I, that girl standing there, my attention fix on Roman or on Russian or on Spanish politics?" 

--- Dan dan@journeywithjesus.net