SHANNON CRAIGO-SNELL

God of Mischief, bless every parent, auntie, grandparent, or friend who helped these kids get dressed up just to have fun. Thank You for every bit of silliness and sweetness this day. Amen.

God of Love, bless federal judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who blocked implementation of the Occupant's ban of people who are transgender serving in the military. And bless the brave plaintiffs in the case, five transgender women currently serving. Amen.

God of Love, bless federal judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who blocked implementation of the Occupant's ban of people who are transgender serving in the military. And bless the brave plaintiffs in the case, five transgender women currently serving. Amen.

God of Love, I pray blessing tonight on all the people of good will who stood against white nationalism and racist hatred in Tennessee today. The neo-Nazis had planned a second rally tomorrow, but canceled it in the face of today’s resistance. May those who stood for love today rest well tonight. May their friends and neighbors be moved to emulate their courage. Amen.

Holy God, bless the seven members of the Fairfax County, VA school board who voted to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School to Justice High. Amen.

God of Hope, this evening I got to spend time with white, straight, male mainline Christians who have been fighting racism with their theology, energy, and checkbooks for many years. Bless them for their witness. Help us remember that all are welcome to work for the common good. Amen.

God of Liberation, I pray tonight for every person working to end mass incarceration. The concept of for-profit prisons—creating financial incentives to put people in captivity—draws deep from the worst aspects of U.S. history. It is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the ethics of compassion shared by many religious and humanitarian traditions. In this moment when U.S. policies are moving backward on these issues, bless those who combat this evil system. Susta

Holy God, bless Senators Jeff Flake and Bob Corker for telling the truth and having some, even minimal, standards. I don’t agree with them on many issues, and I wish they both would have made strong statements this time last year, but I am still grateful for their refusal to acquiesce indefinitely to the dangerous and deceitful behavior of the Occupant. I don’t know if their actions are the best possible strategies. I suspect we might need a plethora of tactics and approaches

Fierce God of Joy, I pray for Harry Belafonte. At 90 years old, he recently made a public appearance in which he recounted his life in music and activism, warned the U.S. that the current administration is extremely dangerous, and offered his continuing conviction that we shall overcome. Thank you, God, for such strong and gifted leaders in the work of justice. Help us continue the struggle. Amen.

Holy God, I pray for Senator Sherrod Brown, who stated clearly that white supremacists are influencing the current administration. May we all tell the truth and shame the devil. Amen.