God of love,

we are latecomers to your table.

Where, once, we were made welcome,

make us welcoming people too.

Give us your eyes of love,

to see the miracle of your breath of life

in our fellow humans

in all our wonderful variety and difference.

Forgive our intolerance, our mistrust, our narrowness.

Fill our hearts with your generous, inclusive love.

We pray for your world,

for all places where mistrust, jealousy and hatred

result in violence, death and destruction.

Give humankind eyes to see the miracle and sanctity of life,

the will to live respectfully, generously and graciously.

Teach us new habits: 

a love of abundance and wildness,

a tolerance of untidiness,

a respect for difference, and a love of variety.

Make our world a place of beauty and peace,

a place where our children and our childrens’ children

will live in peace and safety. 

We pray for people who have fallen on hard times;

for people who are homeless or destitute;

for lives marred by violence

by substance abuse, by mental illness.

Help us to make welcome spaces 

for people on the margins of society.

We pray for all who are ill,

at home, in hospitals, hospices and care homes;

that you will bring healing of body, mind and spirit.

We pray and give thanks 

for all carers, and all who seek to bring healing and respite.

We pray for the people of Ukraine,

and that this volatile situation will not escalate.

We pray for peace.

Aand we give thanks

for the miracle of life:

for the plants and animals which are your creatures.

Make us people of life,

slow to destruction

quick to wonder,

full of love. Amen

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