Prayers for Coal Ash Alliance
Last week evolved into a big holy week with the Pope’s arrival in the US. I, like everyone else, knew that the Pope was coming. I committed to myself well over a month ago that I was going to write a letter to the editor to ask faith leaders to pray about coal ash on Wednesday, September 23rd. The deadline came and past. Then I decided that I would post short prayers on Facebook everyday to pray simple little prayers, the first being about Daniel Chapter 2 and God being a revealer of secrets. I never did it.
On Tuesday, Sarah called to ask me to sharing a closing prayer for the Alliance of Carolinians Together Against Coal Ash and the announcement of statewide press conference. So I wrote the following prayer around these words spoken in this WRAL news clip.
Looks like these prayers are already being heard. Great work, Stokes County! Plus this is an article about Belews Creek in the UK’s The Ecologist. Our story is officially international!
Watch my prayer at 20:30.
Dear Great and Gracious God,
We gather here today on what is certainly a Holy Day for our nation and our world as we face the uncertainty of the implications of climate change. Throughout the lands, we seek your wisdom and guidance on how to be good stewards of your gifts and make the necessary changes to heal our broken world.
Here in North Carolina as we transition into fall, we specifically ask for your guidance around coal ash, which has been carelessly handled for decades. We have paid the price in poor health, lost loved ones and consumed radioactive water, air and land. God, we ask that you hear our collective pleas as we desperately need your help.
Dear God, we are so grateful for your many blessings, including the benefits that we have received from the power of the generated electricity. But now we ask to put an end to the pollution of our natural resources, an end to the detrimental health issues and an end to the environmental injustice that runs rampant throughout our state.
We stand here – communities united together – seeking solutions that will not put another community at risk. But will instead be a great blessing for you and our citizens.
Lord, we know that you are a Revealer of Great Secrets and Mysteries. We ask today, Lord, that you reveal any secrets that need to be unearthed to heal these broken places and prevent any further damage to our state through, harvesting fossil fuels like fracking or off-shore drilling.
Lord, we know that you are the Great Physician and Purifier. We ask today, Lord, that you will heal all of those with known and unknown related health conditions. And we ask that you purify our natural resources of air, land and water.
Lord, we know that you are the Great Leader. We ask today, Lord, that you will guide us as we stand together for environmental justice throughout our great state of North Carolina.
Finally God, we believe that a God-sized miracle is unfolding among us. We stand here with open and expectant hearts for you surround us with signs of Hope, Justice and Love. We are forever grateful.
Amen.
