God.

We would love to be a holy nation.

Not our political nation, exactly, since we come from many nations, many ethnicities.

But like you asked Israel through Moses from the mountain at the beginning of their freedom:

“If you will listen to me,” you said.
“If you will keep my covenant,” you said.
“Then you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

A whole kingdom of people who would intercede for those around them, who would speak your words of invitation, who would offer a story of being loved by you.

A whole nation chosen from all the nations to show that you start with the bottom of the pile, the refugee, the outsider, the shepherd. And you love through them.

We confess that some of us have assumed that your love for us means we can condemn other people.
We confess that some of us have assumed that your blessing for us means we can be a curse for others.
We confess that some of us have assumed that we are not stewards but owners.
We confess that some of us have missed almost everything you have said.

We have not visited the sick and imprisoned, we have not fed the hungry or sheltered the homeless. We have not cared for widows and orphans. We have not loved those you have loved, we have beaten our neighbors or ignored them rather than bandaging them up and taking them to an inn and arranging for their care. We have not offered healing to the lepers but have avoided them. We have not driven out demons.

We have not.
We have not done what you have asked us to do.
We want to start.
We really do.
We think.

By the power of your Spirit, give us power to obey.

Today.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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Reflecting on Exodus 19:2-8 and Matthew 9:35-10:8. Published in God. We Still Need You: A Year of Pandemic Prayer and Practice From a Hospital Chaplain.