God of all people,
We pray for our brothers and sisters who are alone, who are forgotten today. . .
the homeless man begging on the corner
the abused woman and child
the prisoner struggling to offer forgiveness
the woman trafficked across the border and now forced
to sell her body
the lonely one suffering from addiction
the migrant longing for home and family
the couple consumed by work and material wealth, having lost the
love and affection they once shared
the teenager too afraid to go to school because of the bullying
he has endured.
These and others are your lonely people.
Forgive us the times we have kept silent,
contributing to or perpetuating their isolation and alienation.
Give us the courage to set free all your children,
breaking the traps of fear and oppression that isolate us from love.
Guide us to a new creation where all men, women and children
are welcomed as gift and blessing,
where we can dance and sing without restraint in the glory of your love
as magnified in the love of you and each other.
Amen.