Our Father, that art in Breslan

Precious Lord Jesus--

In the face of tragedy, our words become tragically weak. The words we have learned to rely on--hope, praise, love, mercy--seem to lose their power in the face of some other words. Today, those are: Breslan, Russia; school bloodbath; murdered children. It's at times like these that we are grateful that You have taught us words to pray.

So that, as we consider heartache beyond imagination tearing families apart, we are grateful that You taught us to pray, Our Father.

As we think of at least 350 souls that have left this world too early, and horribly, as we try no to think about what their last moments on this earth were like, we are grateful that You have taught us to pray, That art in Heaven.

You have asked us to praise You at all times, and right now we might not know how to do so, had You not taught us to say, Hallowed be Thy name.

As our hearts fill with grief, anger, incomprehension, desire for retribution, helplessness, as we who have only seen and read reports of this tragedy begin to despair of this world, and begin to long for a new one, we are grateful that You have taught us to pray, Thy Kingdom come.

Lord, we feel helpless. What can we do to alleviate such pain, to counter such evil? One thing you have taught us to do--that is, to pray, Thy will be done.

Jesus, we pray this with confidence. We pray this boldly. For there is no tragedy so big that You are not the Lord of it. No grief so deep that you cannot comfort it. No sin so awful that you cannot redeem it. No day so dark that you cannot lighten it. It is for these things that we ask when we pray, Give us this day our daily bread.

Lord, You have some to us with teachings both beautiful and terrible--You came to teach us forgiveness. The very concept of it is unthinkable right now, to those who have lost so much. But the time will come for it, and in this You have shown us the way, and taught us to pray, Forgive our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Preserve us, O Lord, from such bloodshed and horror. Preserve us from the darkness that lurks in our very hearts. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For You are Lord, and King, and loving, and just, and You heart breaks as ours do over Breslan, Russia, and yet, even now, You are preparing Your good works, on this, this earth that You made, and called good.

For Thine art the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, forever and ever.

Amen