Imamu Baraka

Merciful God, I have a lot of prayers tonight. Earlier this week a man named Imamu Baraka saw a woman being left outside in 30 degree weather, wearing a hospital gown and socks, as she was discharged from a hospital in Baltimore. Baraka videotaped the event and attempted to help the woman. First, I pray for this woman. Please come to her aid, God; surround her with support and enable her healing in every way, including healing from this trauma. Second, I pray for the hospital staff who discharged her in this way. They, too, need healing, from whatever instigated this betrayal of their own humanity. Third, I pray for myself. I cannot say with certainty that I would have stopped to help this woman, or risked losing a job by refusing to discharge her. My humanity is also fragile and easily fractured. Fourth, I pray for Baraka, that he may never be without warmth and shelter and friends. Finally, God, I pray for the entire United States. Humanity and decency seem to be in short supply. And the loss of these vital characteristics spreads quickly. Protect us, Holy One. Empower us to be decent and human, to tell the truth when others aren’t, and to create communities of accountability where inhumanity and indecency are not accepted. Amen.