Prayer: Remembrance of Suffering
We pray for those who are suffering
and for ourselves when we are amongst their number.
We remember those who are dying
We remember those who tend to them
We remember those who are imprisoned
We remember those being beaten and tortured
We remember those being shamed and mocked
We remember those with no escape from cold or heat
We remember those robbed and exploited
We remember those fleeing violence
We remember those whose bodies are being violated
We remember those who live in fear every day
We remember those in illness and pain
We remember those without a home and those who cannot return home
We remember those in hunger
We remember those who are grieving and those who have been separated from ones they love
We remember those alone in their anguish.
That pain we feel when others suffer is indistinguishable from love.
We are hot with anger, we shiver and tremble with fear.
We hold our own suffering tenderly, seeking softness and ease.
May suffering deepen our connection with all life.
May there be no place on Earth where our compassion cannot manifest.
May there be no place on Earth where our love cannot be found.