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A Little Litany

It's been one of those weeks... and when set against the background of a world that seems determined to self-destruct by any one of numerous means, whilst we see human misery played out on our news-feeds and TVs continually, various engagements with others that have rattled me in recent days probably shouldn't upset me as much as they have done... but I suppose I just don't have the personal resilience at present to suck it up, and I have never been wise enough to just keep my mouth shut and my head down with the result that I can at times make a bad situation worse... 
But this piece, shaped by the well-known Great Litany from the Book of Common Prayer which alludes to works of evil and the tempting of the devil (appropriate enough for Lent), and all manner of sexual misconduct (it always comes down to sex doesn't it?!), started to form as a genuine prayer as I processed a few of those engagements in recent days. I may point the finger at others, but I am all too aware that I am frequently a big part of the problem:


From rude radicals
Illiberal liberals,
Compassionless conservatives
And my own self-righteousness,
Good Lord, deliver me.

From narrow-mindedness,
Hard-heartedness,
Short-sightedness
And my own world-weariness,
Good Lord, deliver me.

From armchair experts,
Apolitical pietists,
Unreflective activists
And my own unedifying arrogance
Good Lord, deliver me.

I beseech you to hear me, Good Lord
Or at least help me listen to myself.

Selah

 

 


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