A prayer for the fulfillment of our Declaration principles

Photo: Gerald Farinas.

God of every nation and people, on this day when we remember the birth of our country, we lift up prayers not only of gratitude, but of longing, for the promises made to be promises kept.

We give thanks for the words written in courage long ago: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But we confess, O Lord, that these words have too often been hoarded, guarded, and withheld.

Too many have been told these rights were not theirs because of the color of their skin, the land of their birth, the documents they carry, or the people they love.

We pray for a day when those sacred promises are no longer limited by prejudice or power.

We pray for immigrants and refugees who came with nothing but hope, and who now live in fear that even hope will be taken.

We pray for descendants of enslaved and colonized peoples who still wait for justice to roll down like waters.

We pray for the tired, the poor, the huddled masses still yearning, still unheard.

O God, may this land become more than a symbol of freedom; may it become a sanctuary of it.

May the words of our founding ring true not just for the privileged few, but for every soul who seeks shelter and belonging here.

Make us brave enough to work for that day. And faithful enough to believe it will come.

In your holy name we pray. Amen.