God.

I have asked you this week for an awareness of your presence and your peace and your courage. And sometimes, for healing.

In the presence of terrified people and sad people, I’ve asked.

And today we together ask again.

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But we want to ask with right hearts and minds.

And I confess, we confess, we’re often not thinking and feeling in accord with you.

When we read Paul’s words, his direction to put on armor, we sometimes imagine we are fighting people. That we are called to fling insults that we call truth, to spread half-truths that we call information, to make enemies from the suspected intentions of our neighbors.

We confess, I confess, we are wrong.

When Solomon prays for the first time in your temple, he acknowledges that you aren’t contained in buildings, you contain everything.

And so he pleads for mercy. And attention. And forgiveness.

Today we ask for mercy. And attention. And forgiveness.

When Solomon thinks of people from other nations seeking you, he asks not for vindication of their difference, nor affirmation of his rightness. He asks that you will do what they ask you and draw them close to you.

When Paul is describing armor, it’s for protection from evil forces, not for beating our brothers and sisters. Not for slandering the ones you love, the ones you call, the ones you died for.

God, forgive us for being mean.

God, help us to care for the ones who suffer from meanness. And from pain and from accidents and from life.

God, help us.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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Reflecting on I Kings 8 and Ephesians 6.