God, life – your life – is so freely and abundantly available,
it pulses in all creation,
and in every human soul.
Yet we have allowed ourselves to be seduced by death,
and have left ourselves and our planet thirsty and lethargic.
So, where rain forests are destroyed
to exploit immediate resources for short term profits,
we pray that your life would teach us restraint;
Where human waste piles up and poisons the earth,
and the lives of the creatures in it,
we pray that your life would teach us wisdom;
Where the growth and nurture of children is stunted,
by poverty and inequality,
we pray that your life would teach us generosity and compassion;
Where life in all its various expressions is denied and suppressed
by hatred, self-interest, war and megalomania,
we pray that your life would teach us love and humility.
Teach us, O God, to live – to really live,
abundantly, freely, generously and humbly,
that life may be nurtured, multiplied and shared,
– in all its amazing diversity –
through us.
In Christ’s name we pray.
Amen.
