Prayer for Compassion Fatigue
Sadness, horror, rage, grief
Conflicting and complex, they blend together into building waves of increasing intensity
Washes over my senses, flooding my mind, drowning my thoughts
So far away, helplessness envelops me
So near to my heart, prayer seems like the least effective offering
And yet I pray
I have no words of comfort that will make a difference
I have no resources that will be more than a drop in the ocean of need
I have no actions that matter from where I sit in my comfortable home
And yet I pray
I pray for peace and an end to violence
I pray for understanding, cool heads, and warm hearts
I pray for healing and compassion
I pray and I pray and I pray
And numbness descends…
It feels like a curse preventing me from action
Does it not mean I do not care if I do not feel?
In the stillness that follows, I recognize the gift:
A respite from the sadness and horror and rage and grief
That I may rise again once more to find words, to share resources,
And to do what I can to bring about the changes we need in our world
[Image of water at night with text of above prayer]
