A Prayer of Thanksgiving, In Memory of Ahmaud Arbery

God of Love and Hope,

We thank you for granting us a glimpse of justice and accountability today as we press on seeking justice and equity for all.

We heard a mother and father give you glory declaring, “Thank you, God… [Our son] will now rest in peace.”

We heard Ahmaud Arbery’s parents give credit to the power of prayer and community, bearing witness to a day Ahmaud’s grieving mom said she couldn’t imagine a year ago.

We heard a father’s plea for inclusion and love for all. “Love everybody,” he said. “No one should have to watch their child be gunned down.”

Let the weight of their words fill our hearts as households come together for a national day of giving thanks. For many in this country, it remains a national day of grieving. As we gather at our respective tables across this country, let us not forget the empty seats at countless tables left by those stolen from us including: Tanisha Anderson, killed on November 13, 2014; Tamir Rice, killed on November 22, 2014; Jordan Davis, killed on November 23, 2012, and the lingering pain grieving families must carry without the presence of their loved ones.

We thank you for the capacity to pause and breathe in this brief moment when for too long we restlessly marched and cried out, “we can’t breathe.”

We seek to honor the full humanity of those disinherited due to racism, bigotry and violence.

We seek more peace, more healing, more truth telling, more accountability, more justice and more love.

Draw us nearer to you God and to a place where your unfailing love abides and liberates us all.

Amen.

Rev. Dr. Waltrina N. Middleton
Executive Director