Glenn & Dana Pemberton

For our Country

October 2013

 

Oh God,

      what a mess we’ve gotten ourselves into;

and what a mockery we are making of ourselves

      as the world looks on and laughs.

 

The irony is so thick,

      we could use it to pay the deficit.

We will fight wars that cost billions,

      just to overthrow one dictator,

and install a democratic government

      so they have the right kind of government.

Meanwhile, back home we show the world

      how our system of government

is just as flawed as any system

      that ever has been, or ever will be.

 

God, I’m grateful to live in America,

      and I don’t want to live anywhere else.

And we can talk about all our blessings

      another day, because tonight

we have troubles that I can’t ignore,

      not one minute longer.

 

You urged us to pray for our leaders,

      those who are in high positions.

So here goes:

 

We pray for leaders with such strong beliefs

      for what is best for our nation

(on both sides of the hall),

      that they are willing to risk

destroying the lives of the millions

      they were elected to serve.

 

We pray for leaders with such noble commitments,

      to their vision of America

(on both sides of this Grand Canyon),

      that they are unable to see

or recognize the damage they inflict,

      every day this shutdown continues;

on those working paycheck to paycheck,

      and those who live without a paycheck.

 

Meanwhile, we get closer and closer

      to reaching our debt ceiling.

 

God help us.

 

Help us before we do,

      what the Soviet Union could never do;

or any outside threat could ever do -

      and we destroy ourselves from within.

 

Meanwhile, a hurricane the size of France

      has just plowed into India.

Thank you for the evacuations that

      saved thousands of lives.

But while lives have been spared,

      livelihoods have been destroyed;

and hundreds of thousands of people

      will return home this week,

only to find they have no home;

      what little they had is gone.

India needs the world,

      including us, to help them;

but we can’t get our act together.

 

God, I don’t know what we need –

      more humility, less pride;

more awareness of the damage done,

      less refusing to do what needs to be done.

But God, I don’t know what that is anymore.

 

Please God, help us.