A Prayer for Peace in Time of War

This evening the Dialogue Society holds its annual Iftar Dinner in The Grand Hotel. I am usually asked to read a prayer, and this time I wrote one honouring the lives lost in the Ukraine war, and elsewhere.

Join me in prayer…
In a country lane
Where bees visit sleepy lavender
The crooning blackbird is pitch perfect
And the leaves are twirling in the breeze

Join me in prayer
In a laboratory
Where the efficiency of a cluster bomb 
Is statistically evaluated
The fruits of its achievements
Are found near our country lane
Where we meet the ghosts of travellers 
Children, women and men
Muslim, Jew, Christian and Buddhist
Innocent, each and every one

Join me in prayer
And let us say together 
Stop… 
Stop the machinery of war
Those that make arms
Those that use them
Those that give orders to deploy them
Stop them all

This is why we pray together… now

Join me in prayer
For a world where peace
Is utterly irresistible
Where killing machines are an abomination
Where you and I hear the sound of the wind
The birdsong, the buzzing of bees in the lavender
And we know in our hearts
That our prayers have finally been answered

Thank you

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