Tag Archive for "fear" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘fear’

A Liturgy after Terror Attacks

Posted on: March 29th, 2016 by Alden

This is a four-prayer liturgy to be used after terror strikes. “For Terror Survivors” and “To the Terrorist” are from “A Liturgy for 9-11.” “Let Tranquility Reign” is based on Psalms 120-122. Options are shown with [brackets]; word choices with a slash (/). This liturgy also appears on ReformJudaism.org.

After a Terror Attack
Author of life,
Humanity has turned violent,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking the heart of another city/nation
With vitriol and hatred
In (an act/coordinated acts) of calculated terror.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of terror throughout the world,
Men and women whose lives were cut off by witless aggression.
Today we (add/once again add) ______________ [insert city name]
To the list of places where innocents have been murdered and wounded.

Remember with love
The survivors of these horrors
Throughout the world.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the victims of terror Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

For Terror Survivors
G-d of the survivor,
G-d of the mourner and the witness,
Grant solace and peace to those still held by physical, emotional and spiritual distress from acts of terror.

Remember now those who are suffering from trauma after the attack in ___________ [add the location].

Release them from visions of death and destruction.
Release them from guilt or shame, from fear or anger.
Bind their wounds with Your steadfast love.
Lift them on Your wings of kindness and grace.

Blessed are those who have found peace.
Blessed are those without tranquility.
Blessed are those who speak.
Blessed are those who stay silent.
Blessed are those who have healed.
Blessed are those who suffer.
Blessed are those who forgive.
Blessed are those who cannot forgive.

Blessed are You, G-d of healing, Source of strength for survivors of violence and tragedy in every land and in every age. Blessed are You, Source of hope and comfort.

To the Terrorist
You who would hold the sky captive,
The sea prisoner,
The land in chains…

You who hide in caves,
Retreat to the wilderness,
Disappear behind false names and forged papers…

You who smuggle guns and arms,
Hide rockets in cities and bombs in homes,
Build weapons against the innocent and the bystander…

You whose designs are destruction,
Whose plans are fear,
Whose joy is hate…

You who harden your hearts
And wrap yourselves in death…
What evil has robbed you of your love,
Your compassion,
Your goodness,
Your humanity?
What lies have invaded your minds
So that you choose to die in order to kill?

We who love our lives and liberty
Stand firm and strong against terror.
We will defend our nation and our people.
We will protect our land and our homes.
And we pray for you to find hope and comfort
In lives of peace.

Let Tranquility Reign
Some days,
Ancient One,
Some days the prayers
Of Your people
Are so close
We can hold them in our hands,
Feel them with our eyes,
Taste them with our breath.
They surround our hearts
To become our yearning.
They surround our song,
To become our grieving.
They surround our souls,
To become our pleading.

:רַבַּת שָׁכְנָה-לָּהּ נַפְשִׁי, עִם שׂוֹנֵא שָׁלוֹם
:אֲנִי-שָׁלוֹם וְכִי אֲדַבֵּר, הֵמָּה לַמִּלְחָמָה

“My soul has dwelled too long
Among those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak of it
They are for war.”

When will peace come,
Source of Peace,
When will sorrow be vanquished?
When will tranquility reign?

:יְהוָה יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל-רָע, יִשְׁמֹר אֶת-נַפְשֶׁךָ
:יְהוָה יִשְׁמָר-צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ, מֵעַתָּה וְעַד-עוֹלָם

“Adonai will guard you from all harm;
G-d will guard your soul.
Adonai will guard your going and coming;
Now and evermore.”

For You are our Hope.
Our Comfort.
Our Blessing.
Let those who cherish life
Bless this day and every day.

:לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי, אֲדַבְּרָה-נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ
:לְמַעַן בֵּית-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, אֲבַקְשָׁה טוֹב לָךְ

“For the sake of my comrades and companions,
I shall say: ‘Peace be within you.’
For the sake of the House of Adonai our God
I will seek your good.”

Let these prayers ascend
To the lofty heights,
So that the nations,
And peoples of the earth,
Will rejoice in holiness,
Will rejoice in splendor,
And will rejoice, together, in righteousness.

“After a Terror Attack” is © 2016 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved. “Let Tranquility Reign” is © 2015 Alden Solovy andtobendlight.com. All rights reserved. “For Terror Survivors” and “To the Terrorist” are © 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: “After a Terror Attack” is an adaptation of “For Brussels.” “Let Tranquility Reign” first appeared on this site January 18, 2015. “For Terror Survivors” and “To the Terrorist” first appeared on this site on April 28, 2o11, as part of my “Liturgy for 9-11.”

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Spiritual Networks

For Brussels

Posted on: March 23rd, 2016 by Alden

A prayer of solidarity and healing after the terror attacks in Brussels. The closing stanza is written in English and the three official languages of Belgium: Dutch, German and French.

For Brussels
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking the heart of a democratic nation
With vitriol and hatred
In coordinated acts of calculated terror.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of terror in Belgium,
Innocents murdered and wounded,
Men and women whose lives were cut off by witless aggression.

Remember the survivors of this horror.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of Brussels Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Accorde aux peuple de Bruxelles Ta protection,
Ta guérison,
Et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

Himmlischer Vater,
Hand voller Liebe und Geborgenheit,
Gib den Menschen in Bruessel Deine Vollkommenheit,
Deinen Schutz,
Deine Kraft zu heilen,
Und Deinen Frieden.

Hemelse Gids,
Hand van de liefde en onderdak,
Verleen de Brusselaars Uw bescherming,
Uw toewijding,
Uw genezing,
En Uw vrede.

Postscript: This is based on my prayer “For Paris,” which is why I selected this image to illustrate the prayer. It was tweeted by Le Monde’s veteran cartoonist, Jean Plantureux, better known as Plantu. Thank you to my friends who translated the closing verse: Carolin Melamed, German; Genevieve Begue, French; and the Dutch by a friend who asked to remain anonymous.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo credit: Jean Plantureux as shown in The Guardian

Pour Paris

Posted on: December 23rd, 2015 by Alden

This is a full translation of a prayer of solidarity and healing “For Paris” that I wrote immediately after last month’s terror attack. The original prayer includes one closing paragraph translated into French.

Pour Paris
Auteur de la vie,
L’homme s’est tourné vers la violence,
Ecrasant des vies,
Bouleversant des rêves,
Attaquant le cœur d’une nation démocratique
Avec vitriol et haine
Avec des actes de terreur coordonnés et calculés.

Source et Créateur,
Accorde un repos parfait sous ton tabernacle de la paix
Pour les victimes de la terreur à Paris,
Innocents tués et blessés,
Hommes et femmes dont les vies ont été tragiquement écourtées.

Rappelle-toi des survivants de cette horreur.
Accorde-leur un abri et du soulagement,
Du réconfort et de la consolation,
Une bénédiction et un renouvellement.
Accorde-leur l’endurance de survivre,
La force de reconstruire,
La foi pour se lamenter,
Le courage de guérir,
Et la dévotion à l’autre.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Accorde aux peuple de Paris Ta protection,
Ta guérison et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

Postscript: Thank you to my friend Cantor Sheri Allen for sending this translation by Gary Goldman. Here’s a link to the original English version of the prayer. My prayer “For the Jews of France,” written in March, 2012, after the deadly anti-semitic attack in Toulouse, has also been translated into French.

Photo credit: One of many adaptations of original art by Jean Jullien.

For Paris

Posted on: November 14th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer of solidarity and healing after Friday night’s terror attack in Paris. Here’s a link to this prayer translated into French.

For Paris
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking the heart of a democratic nation
With vitriol and hatred
In coordinated acts of calculated terror.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of terror in Paris,
Innocents murdered and wounded,
Men and women whose lives were cut off by witless aggression.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of Paris Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Accorde aux peuple de Paris Ta protection,
Ta guérison et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

Photo credit: Grazia

For Mother Emanuel / Church of the Multiplication: Racist Violence against Houses of Worship

Posted on: June 18th, 2015 by Alden

On Wednesday night, nine people were killed during a shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, an historic black church in Charleston, S.C. The oldest AME church in the south, it’s referred to as “Mother Emanuel.” Across continents Thursday morning, arsonists set fire to the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish on the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Most of the damage occurred roof; two people suffered smoke inhalation. Given the time zone differences, these acts of violence and cowardice — the preparations, the police responses — were quite possibly playing out at the same time. Here are two prayers in response.

For Mother Emanuel: A Memorial and Healing Prayer
Author of life
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To those who lost their lives the attack on Mother Emanuel,
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression.
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when no one will suffer at the hand of another.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

G-d of justice and mercy,
Remember the survivors of this attack,
And the victims of any disaster,
Any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of Mother Emanuel Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Racist Violence against Houses of Worship
Oh people of conscience,
Cry out.
Cry out against arrogance.
Cry out against hatred and anger.
Cry out against violence and oppression.
For G-d requires us to stand
In the name of justice and freedom,
For G-d requires us to oppose terror,
To muster our power and energy
Against racist aggression
And to protect all houses of prayer.

Oh G-d,
We implore You,
Look down upon the suffering
Perpetrated against churches, mosques and synagogues,
Against houses of worship in so many lands,
By the hand of wickedness,
By the hand of malevolence,
By the hand of ignorance and sin.
Today we remember, with sadness, the attacks on
Mother Emanuel and the Church of the Multiplication
And the loss of precious life.

With Your gentle and loving hand,
G-d of Shelter,
Unite all of your children
Under Your canopy of hope and love.
Bring the light of salvation and healing
To the four corners of the earth.

Postscript: The prayer “For Mother Emanuel” is an adaptation of “Violence in Mumbai.” The prayer “Racist Violence against Houses of Worship” is an adaptation of “For the Yazidi People.”

Photo Source: Wikipedia

Suicide Attempt by My Spouse/Partner

Posted on: May 31st, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer for healing after a suicide attempt by a spouse or partner. It focuses on emotional and spiritual health, although it includes an optional section in [brackets] for one still in physical danger as a result of the attempt. This is another in a new series of prayers about suicide.

Suicide Attempt by My Spouse/Partner
G-d of Old,
A fire rages in the heart of my beloved,
A fire that threatens to consume him/her.
How deep is this pain
That he/she would attempt to take his/her own life.
I call out to You
From the depths of confusion and fear.
[Carry her/him out of physical danger,
Healing her/his body from this trauma and]
Lead her/him to solace and relief.
What balm will ease her/his suffering?
What consolation will guide her/his journey
Back to self-respect and love?

G-d of healing,
Bless my husband/wife/partner
__________________________ (full name)
With comfort and well-being.
Grant him/her healing of mind,
Healing of body,
And healing of spirit.
Grant his/her doctors [and his/her medications]
With healing power.
Teach her/him to see the world through Your eyes,
As a place of joy and adventure.

Remove my fear [and the fear of our children]
And lead us to a time of wholeness.
Remove my heartbreak [and my shame].
[Bless me with wisdom as I consider
My own reactions to this trauma.]

Well of Hope,
Grant __________________________ (first name)
The ability to be gentle and forgiving to herself/himself.
Lead her/him to new ways of expression,
On a path to happiness and peace.

Postscript: Here are related prayers: “My Child’s Suicide Attempt,” “My Child’s Self-Inflicted Wounds” and “Yizkor after My Child’s Suicide.”

Photo Source: Applied Buddhism

Aux Juifs de France, Modifié

Posted on: January 11th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer for the Jews of France after the terror attack on a kosher market in Paris. The prayer appears first in French followed by English. It’s an adaption of “For the Jews of France,” written in March, 2012, after the deadly anti-semitic attack in Toulouse.

Aux Juifs de France, Modifié
Auteur de la vie,
L’homme est devenu violent,
Anéantissant des vies,
Bouleversant des rêves,
Attaquant l’espoir avec la haine.

Source et Créateur,
Accorde un repos parfait sous ton tabernacle de paix
Aux victimes de Paris
Dont les vies furent interrompues par la violence,
Un acte d’aggression stupide
Et d’anti-Sémitisme calculé.
Rappelle-toi les survivants de cette atrocité,
Et les victimes de toute violence, souffrance ou désespoir.
Accorde-leur refuge et secours,
Confort et consolation,
Grâce et renouveau.
Accorde-leur l’endurance afin qu’ils survivent,
La force de reconstruire,
La foi dans le deuil,
Le courage de guérir,
Et la dévotion l’un à l’autre.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Met fin à la haine et la colère,
A la peur et la bigoterie,
Et conduit-nous à ce temps,
Quand plus un ne souffre à la merci d’un autre.

Pour le bien de notre peuple,
Et pour celui de Ton Saint Nom,
Accorde aux Juifs de France Ta protection,
Ta guérison et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

For the Jews of France, Revised
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking hope with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in Paris
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.

For the sake of our people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Grant the Jews of France Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Postscript: The translation is by Genevieve Begue, a woman with an amazing amount of energy and joy for living whom I met during a winter 2012 ulpan at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. My deepest thanks to Genevieve for the translation and her continuing support of my writing. Ask others to pray for the Jews of France by posting a link to this prayer on your Facebook wall or blog.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. Please take a moment to explore my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo credit: Facebook

My Child’s Suicide Attempt

Posted on: November 16th, 2014 by Alden

This is difficult prayer: a prayer for healing after a child attempts suicide. It focuses on the child’s emotional and spiritual health, although it includes an optional section in [brackets] for a child who’s still in physical danger as a result of the attempt. This is the first of several prayers about suicide. Others will be posted in coming weeks. Here’s a related prayer called “My Child’s Self-Inflicted Wounds.”

My Child’s Suicide Attempt
How deep is her/his pain,
G-d of Old,
That my daughter/son
Would attempt to take his/her own life.
I call out to You
From the depths of confusion and fear.
[Carry her/him out of physical danger,
Healing her/his body from this trauma and]
Lead her/him to solace and relief.
What balm will ease her/his suffering?
What consolation will guide her/his journey
Back to wholeness, to self-respect, to love?

G-d of healing,
Bless my child
__________________________ (full name)
With comfort and well-being.
Grant him/her healing of mind,
Healing of body,
And healing of spirit.
Bless his/her doctors [and his/her medications]
With healing power.
Teach her/him to see the world through Your eyes,
As a place of abundance and kindness,
A place of joy and adventure.

Well of Hope,
Grant __________________________ (first name)
The ability to be gentle and forgiving to herself/himself.
Lead her/him to new ways of expression,
On a path to happiness and peace.

Postscript: See also: “The Cut that Heals,” “Witnessing” and “Redeeming My Life,” which appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Source: Softpedia

After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack

Posted on: May 27th, 2014 by Alden

This prayer is a response to Saturday’s anti-Semitic terror attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. Again, Israelis and Jews targeted and dead. This is an adaptation of a prayer “For the Jews of France,” which I also recently adapted “For the People of Kansas City.” Both were tailored to the situation, much like the two prayers I posted after the 2012 terrorist attack on Israelis in Bourgas, Bulgaria. It seems, at this point, that we need a general use prayer, one with a fill-in-the-blank line so it can be available immediately after an attack. See also: “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer.”

After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Cutting down innocents
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking hope with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in
______________________ (name of city and country)
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.

For the sake of our people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Grant the Jews of
______________________ (name of country)
Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Postscript: The prayer “For the Jews of France” is an adaptation of prayers I wrote in response to violence in Norway and attacks in Mumbai, which were based on two of my other prayers, “At the Hand of Violence” and “In Devastation.” Find related prayers in my “Liturgy for 9-11.”

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

For the People of Kansas City

Posted on: April 14th, 2014 by Alden

A prayer for the people of Kansas City and the Jewish community after yesterday’s deadly violence targeting the Overland Park JCC and Village Shalom assisted living home. Here are links to two prayers for individual victims: “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer” and “At the Hand of Violence.”

For the People of Kansas City
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Cutting down young and old
In Kansas City,
Grandparents and grandchildren,
Our brothers and sisters,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking love with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in Kansas City
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.
For the sake of the Jewish people,
For the sake of all people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Let the community of all faiths rally
In Your Holy Name.
Grant the people of Kansas City Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Postscript: Ask others to pray for the people of Kansas City by posting a link to this prayer on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer” and “At the Hand of Violence” appear in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. This prayer is adapted from one I wrote “For the Jews of France” after the 2012 attack in Toulouse, which has been translated into French. That, in turn, was an adaptation of prayers I wrote in response to violence in Norway and attacks in Mumbai, which were based on two of my other prayers, “At the Hand of Violence” and “In Devastation.” Find related prayers in my “Liturgy for 9-11.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: KSHB41 Action News

Posts Tagged ‘fear’

A Liturgy after Terror Attacks

For Brussels

Pour Paris

For Paris

For Mother Emanuel / Church of the Multiplication: Racist Violence against Houses of Worship

Suicide Attempt by My Spouse/Partner

Aux Juifs de France, Modifié

My Child’s Suicide Attempt

After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack

For the People of Kansas City

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