Tag Archive for "prayer after gun violence"

Posts Tagged ‘prayer after gun violence’

Columbine, Again and Again

Posted on: February 15th, 2023 by Alden

In memoriam for those who lost their lives at Michigan State University, and to all who were wounded physically or emotionally, I’ve added the school to “A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13.” Here is a three-prayer liturgy also including “After Uvalde: The Court of the Innocent” and “After a Deadly Rampage.”

A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13
A dream of Columbine High School,
When the U.S. was beset by guns.
Red with blood,
A dream of Thurston High, Red Lake High, Virginia Tech, and Michigan State University,
Wet with tears,
A nightmare of Sandy Hook and Robb Elementary.
A lament of guns and death,
At NIU, Marshall County High, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Santa Fe High and Saugus High.
Crying out
With so many others,
Too many dead,
So many wounded and scarred.
Crying out,
O Columbine!
How long? How long? How long?

After Uvalde: The Court of the Innocent
The court of the innocent
At the gates of heaven
Is twenty-one souls larger today.
Two adults and nineteen children shot dead.
They bring their blood as evidence against us,
As evidence of our failure to protect them
And the impotence of our rage.

The court of the innocent
At the gates of heaven
Have stopped listening to our speeches.
They no longer say ‘amen’ to our prayers.
They have turned their backs to us,
As we have turned our backs to them.

The court of the innocent
At the gates of heaven
Minister to the souls of the newly murdered,
They minister to those cut down
By guns and violence,
By politics and inaction,
Tending to these recent companions in death,
Consoling their lifeless hearts.

After a Deadly Rampage
Author of life
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of the massacre
At Michigan State University,
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
A rampage of aggression beyond understanding.
Their hopes were severed.
Their dreams were lost to brutality.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

G-d of justice and mercy,
Remember, too, the survivors of this attack,
Witnesses of shock, horror and dismay.
Ease their suffering and release their trauma
So that they recover lives of joy and wonder.
Grant them Your shelter and solace,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
And courage to heal.

Remember the families and friends
Of the dead and the wounded.
With comfort and consolation.
Grant them Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing.
May they find hope and renewal.

Heavenly Guide,
Source of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when
No one will suffer at the hand of another,
Speedily, in our day.

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Postscript: See also “Against Gun Violence.”

Please check out These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah and my other CCAR Press volumes: This Grateful Heart, This Joyous Soul, and This Precious Life, which can also be purchased as the Grateful/Joyous/Precious trilogy. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines, 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. For a taste of my teaching, see my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer.”

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Photo Source: Bridge Michigan

For the U.S. Asian Community

Posted on: March 18th, 2021 by Alden

In Atlanta, eight are dead after a killing spree centered on the Asian American community, as the number of hate crimes against that community continue to rise. This hits home, and I fear for my cousins in New York and Los Angeles. Here’s a Yizkor prayer to be said for an individual killed “At the Hand of Violence.”

For the U.S. Asian Community
Oh people of conscience,
Cry out.
Cry out against hatred and anger.
Cry out against violence and oppression.
Cry out against the rising tide of brutality against
Our Asian American brothers and sisters.

Author of life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of the massacre
In Atlanta, Georgia,
Whose lives were cut off by violence
In a rampage of aggression beyond understanding.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

G-d of justice and mercy,
Remember the survivors and witnesses of this attack,
Witnesses to shock, horror and dismay.
Ease their suffering and release their trauma
So that they recover lives of joy and wonder.
Grant them Your shelter and solace,
Blessing and renewal.

Look with favor, G-d of love,
Upon Asian American communities throughout the land,
And all communities targeted for violence.
Grant them Your protection.
Remember them with comfort and consolation.
Bless them with wholeness and healing.

Heavenly Guide,
Put an end to anger, hatred, and fear,
And lead us to a time when
No one will suffer at the hand of another,
Speedily, in our day.

Postscript: This prayer borrows from two others, “After a Deadly Rampage” and “Racist Violence against Houses of Worship.” I have lost count of the number of prayers I’ve written after racist or gun violence. See: “Strangled by Police: Psalm of Protest 17,” “Tree of Life, Pittsburgh,” “For the Children of Newtown,” “After the Washington Navy Yard Shootings,” and “Pride Wins: A Prayer after Homophobic Brutality.” All of my Psalms of Protest can be found here. Here’s a Yizkor prayer to be said for an individual killed “At the Hand of Violence.”

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Photo Source: Dawn

For Survivors of School Shootings

Posted on: March 31st, 2019 by Alden

Sydney Aiello / Jeremy Richman

This prayer is a response to three recent suicides. In the past week, Jeremy Richman, the father a first-grader killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting, was found dead of an apparent suicide. Days earlier, Parkland, Florida, was rocked by two apparent suicides involving survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School rampage, Sydney Aiello and an unnamed Parkland Student. Here’s are two related prayers: “For Terror Survivors” and “A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13.”

For Survivors of School Shootings
O grief beyond consolation,
Release your grip
On the survivors of terror in our schools,
The witnesses of this violence,
And the families of the slain.

You who have endured this grievous loss,
You who have mourned and lamented,
Surely sorrow pierced your heart
When murder raged,
Staining your memory red with blood.
Let love bind your wounds.
Let tears sooth your soul.
Let your life be a tribute
To the memory of the lost.

G-d of compassion,
Heal the broken-hearted,
Comfort the bereft,
And bring solace to the hearts of the bereaved.
Make a swift end to the scourge of terror in our schools,
And let the souls of the innocent
Rest in peace.

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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: CNN

A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13

Posted on: February 2nd, 2019 by Alden

The massacre at Columbine High school took place more than 20 years ago. And still, we have school shooting after school shooting. This Psalm of Protest, listing school shootings, imagines that those schools stand as witness against all gun violence, as witness against all mass murder. See also, “Against Gun Violence” and “In Memorium: Sandy Hook.”

Addendum: Written in 2019, this has been updated on May 25, 2022, to include Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas.

A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13
A dream of Columbine High School,
When the U.S. was beset by guns.
Red with blood,
A dream of Thurston High, Red Lake High and Virginia Tech.
Wet with tears,
A nightmare of Sandy Hook and Robb Elementary.
A lament of guns and death,
At NIU, Marshall County High, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Santa Fe High and Saugus High.
Crying out
With so many others,
Too many dead,
So many wounded and scarred.
Crying out,
O Columbine!
How long? How long? How long?

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Postscript: See also: “Psalms of Protest 1, and 3,” Psalms of Protest 4, 5 and 6,” “Psalms of Protest 7-10,” “#MeToo, No More: Psalm of Protest 11” and “Psalm of Protest 12.”

Photo Source: NBC12

For Parkland, Florida

Posted on: February 18th, 2018 by Alden

Received by email this morning:

Dear Mr. Solovy,

I wanted to thank you for your prayer “For the Children of Newtown” that we found at reformjudaism.org. These comforting words have now been shared to thousands and more at my own congregation the night of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, at a City of Parkland Prayer Vigil, and this afternoon at a Broward County teacher’s labor union. I am only sorry that I have to write you to say that I needed to use this prayer and substitute Newtown for Parkland 6 years after you wrote this prayer.

On looking at your website I saw you just posted on 2/14 about love and it was so beautiful and wanted to ask if you could perhaps write a prayer for our suffering here in Parkland, FL. We are a bit too close to what is happening to sit still and think, but I know we would be appreciative and would share your words for comfort

Shavua tov,
Rabbi Melissa Stollman
Director of Lifelong Learning
Congregation Kol Tikvah

I finished this an hour later…

For Parkland, Florida
Oh grief,
This grief suddenly forced upon us
With violence and weapon,
That your names have become prayers,
To keep us safe from violence,
That your sweet lives,
Once held with joy and light,
Are now among the accusers of those who fail
To protect us from the plague of guns.
Scott, Aaron, Chris, Martin
Luke, Cara, Jamie, Nicholas
Gina, Alex, Joaquin
Alaina, Peter, Meadow
Helena, Alysa, Carmen

Oh grief,
This grief suddenly forced upon us
With malice and anger,
That Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida,
Would join the list of schools attacked,
Traumatized with horror,
Knowing that this hasn’t ended yet,
Let justice prevail.

Author of life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of this massacre in Parkland, Florida.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

G-d of mercy,
Remember, too, the survivors of this attack,
Ease their suffering and release their trauma.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
And courage to heal,
So that they recover lives of joy and wonder.

Remember the families and friends
Of the dead and the bereaved
With consolation and solace.
Grant them Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing.
May they find hope and grace.

G-d of Consolation,
Every soul is Yours,
A world, unique and holy.
Let Your peace reign quickly among us.
Let violence, hatred and terror vanish.
Let Your comfort descend from heaven,
And let the righteous rest in peace.

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Postscript: This is a combination of new writing and elements from “For the Children of Newtown” and “One is Everything,” two more prayers after violence and terror.

Photo Source: ABC Action News

Against Gun Violence

Posted on: June 23rd, 2016 by Alden

This prayer to end gun violence calls for sane and common sense gun legislation, including a prayer for those who advocate gun control. It’s a response to the Orlando Pulse massacre. It was used in the CCAR’s ‘fast response’ resource kit for rabbis and synagogues after the massacre.

Against Gun Violence
G-d of the slain,
G-d of the murdered and the victim,
The voice of lamentation echoes across the land.
Wailing beside graves opened too soon,
Weeping beside stains of blood
From the dead and the injured
Pouring forth from bullet wounds:
The child shot,
The suicide,
The domestic assault,
The gang violence,
The mass murder,
The long night of death made easy by guns
And automatic weapons.
The long night of sorrow made easy
By reckless access to machines of slaughter.

Source of justice,
Rock of strength and truth,
You call upon us to stand
In the name of common sense and reason:
To witness on behalf of the innocent and the cut down –
The widowed, orphaned and bereaved –
To answer the scourge of senseless loss,
To advocate for gun control,
To remove military weapons from a civilian population,
To return sanity to our laws, our policies and our lives.

Bless those who dedicate themselves to gun control.
Grant them fortitude and perseverance.
May the work of their hands never falter
Nor despair deter them from their holy calling.

Bless those who are mourning the dead.
Grant them solace and comfort.
Bless those who are healing from the trauma of gun violence.
Grant them lives of health and prosperity,
Joy and peace.

Blessed are You, G-d of All Being,
Who summons us to choose life,
First, choose life,
Above all,
Choose life.

Postscript: This prayer is written in the same style of my other political action prayers: “Against Human Trafficking,” “Against Poverty,” “Against Worker Exploitation,” “Against Tyranny” and “Against Hunger.” Here’s another prayer in response to the Pulse massacre called “For Orlando, For the USA,” as well as “Pride Wins: A Prayer after Homophobic Brutality” and “Love Wins: A Pride Prayer.” Here’s a yizkor prayer for someone killed “At the Hand of Violence.” My other mourning and yizkor prayers can be found here.

Photo Source: Twitter photo released by U.S. House Rep. Katherine Clark

For Orlando, For the USA

Posted on: June 13th, 2016 by Alden

In Orlando early Sunday, 50 people died in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S history, domestic hate and terror focused on a popular gay nightclub. This is a prayer of shock, mourning and consolation, incorporating quotes from a man who escaped the club, “there was blood, blood everywhere” and “it was chaos.” It’s based on a prayer called “After a Deadly Rampage.” See “At the Hand of Violence” for a prayer in memory of an individual. May the memories of the righteous be a blessing. Here’s a prayer called “Pride Wins: A Prayer after Homophobic Brutality.”

For Orlando, For the USA
There was blood everywhere.
Forty-nine dead. And blood everywhere.

Author of life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of the massacre
In Orlando, Florida,
Forty-nine people whose lives were cut off by violence,
In a rampage of aggression beyond understanding,
Targeted by vehemence and hate.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

There was blood everywhere.
Fifty-three wounded. And chaos.

G-d of justice and mercy,
Send healing to those wounded in this assault.
Fifty-three people who were
Struck by brutality.
Remember all the survivors of this attack,
Witnesses of shock, horror and dismay.
Ease their suffering and release their trauma
So that they recover lives of joy and wonder.
Grant them Your shelter and solace,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
And courage to heal.

Yes, there is blood everywhere.
Columbine. Virginia Tech. Fort Hood.
How much more blood will be spilled?
Sandy Hook. Killeen. San Yisidro.
When will sanity return?
Aurora. Charleston. Washington Navy Yard. Red Lake.
When will the U.S. confront this scourge of violence?
There is blood everywhere.

G-d of love and shelter,
Remember the families and friends
Of all the dead and the wounded
In Orlando and throughout the U.S.
Remember them with comfort and consolation.
Grant them Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing.

Heavenly Guide,
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when
No one will suffer at the hand of another,
Speedily, in our day.

Postscript: This prayer also refers to other deadly U.S. mass shootings. Sadly, I’ve written many prayers after mass shootings. This is the first time I’ve incorporated a plea to end gun violence into a post-massacre prayer. In previous prayers after these tragedies I avoided reference to the gun control debate in the U.S. in order to provide a memorial prayer that we all can use — regardless of point of view — at these times of horror. For a more generic prayer, see “After a Deadly Rampage.”

Here, again, is a prayer called “Pride Wins: A Prayer after Homophobic Brutality,” and another called “Love Wins: A Pride Prayer, Jewish.”

See also: “For the Children of Newtown” and “After the Washington Navy Yard Shootings.” This prayer is based on a “For the People of Norway.” Here’s a Yizkor prayer to be said for an individual killed “At the Hand of Violence.” Please also see this “Munich Massacre Memorial Prayer.”

Photo Source: Screen Capture, NBC News

In Memoriam: Sandy Hook

Posted on: December 12th, 2013 by Alden

The seventh anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., is today, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2017. Here are two prayers to mark the day. The first, “For the Children of Newtown,” is prayer I wrote in response to the attack. The second, “At the Hand of Violence,” is a memorial prayer for individual victims of violence. The second prayer includes space to name a specific person who died in the massacre. Here’s a link to a prayer “For Bereaved Children.” May the memories of the righteous be a blessing.

For the Children of Newtown
Author of life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of the massacre
In Newtown, Connecticut,
Children whose lives were cut off by violence,
All who fell at the hand of anger,
A rampage beyond understanding.
The future was severed.
Hopes, joys and dreams
Lost to brutality.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

G-d of mercy,
Remember, too, the survivors of this attack,
Parents,
Sisters and brothers,
Witnesses of shock, horror and dismay.
Ease their suffering and release their trauma.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
And courage to heal,
So that they recover lives of joy and wonder.

Remember the families and friends
Of the dead and the bereaved
With comfort and consolation.
Grant them Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing.
May they find hope and grace.

Heavenly Guide,
Source of love,
Guard the children of Newtown.
Grant them Your shelter and solace,
Blessing and renewal.
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when
No one will suffer at the hand of another,
Speedily, in our day.

At the Hand of Violence: A Yizkor Prayer
Author of life Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To ______________________ (name in Hebrew or your native tongue),
My [father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / dear one / friend]
Whose life was cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression.
We remember his / her / their wisdom, talents and skills,
Joy, laughter and tears.
Let these memories continue to bless us
Even as we pray for him / her / them to find peace
In the world to come.
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 his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Postscript: “For the Children of Newtown” prayer is an adaptation of “After a Deadly Rampage,” a general prayer to be used in response to mass killings. Please also see “For Bereaved Children,” a prayer for the brothers and sisters of the young victims.

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Photo Credit: The Candles Spot

After the Washington Navy Yard Shootings

Posted on: September 17th, 2013 by tobendlight

This is a prayer of mourning and consolation in memory of the victims of the Washington Navy Shipyard shootings and supporting their families. Unfortunately, there are now so many mass attacks that a general prayer seems necessary. So I wrote a prayer called “After a Deadly Rampage” with a blank line for the location of the attack, which I have filled in for this tragedy. May the memories of the righteous be a blessing.

After a Deadly Rampage/ Washington Navy Yard
Author of life
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of the massacre
At the Washington Navy Yard,
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
A rampage of witless aggression beyond understanding.
Their hopes were severed.
Their dreams were lost to brutality.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.
May they rest in peace.

Remember the families and friends
Of the dead and the wounded.
With comfort and consolation.
Grant them Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing.
May they find hope and renewal.

Heavenly Guide,
Source of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when
No one will suffer at the hand of another,
Speedily, in our day.

Postscript: “After a Deadly Rampage” is based on a prayer I wrote “For the People of Norway.” The focus of this prayer is on the dead, the injured and their families, making no reference to legal, political or social issues related to the Second Amendment/gun control debate in the U.S. This is a simple memorial prayer that we all can use at these times of horror. Please see “At the Hand of Violence” for prayer in memory of an individual killed by violence.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

Photo Source: Google Maps

Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child

Posted on: December 16th, 2012 by tobendlight

Flower Grave This prayer is a response to the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It can be used as a private meditation or as part of a funeral service. Gender selections are identified with a slash (“his/her”), there are two places to insert the name of the child and an optional section, identified with [brackets], for adding memories and personal reflections. Here’s a prayer “For the Children of Newtown.” May the memories of the righteous be a blessing.

Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child
My dear __________ [name of the child],
My son/daughter/child,
Your hands were so small,
Your skin, so smooth,
Your smile, as bright as sunlight.
We had so little time,
And so much more to do, to discover, to share.

Oh grief,
Oh loneliness and sorrow,
The coffin that holds you is so small,
The wood, so smooth,
This moment, dark with despair.
And still, your laughter echoes in my heart
And your face shines in my eyes.

[If desired, speak silently or aloud memories and moments
To honor the life of your child and the difficult days ahead.]

G-d of compassion,
Grant our family the wisdom to be gentle with each other
In these hours of grievous loss.
Lead us on the path to hope and renewal
So that we may become a well
Of comfort and support for each other.

G-d of All,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To ______________________ [name of the child],
My son/daughter/child who has gone to his/her eternal rest.
May his/her memory be sanctified with love and
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Postscript: This will appears in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. Here’s a link to a memorial prayer to be said for an individual killed “At the Hand of Violence” and a prayer “For Bereaved Children,” which can be said on behalf of the brothers and sisters of the victims.

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: Laume’s Studio

Posts Tagged ‘prayer after gun violence’

Columbine, Again and Again

For the U.S. Asian Community

For Survivors of School Shootings

A Dream of Columbine: Psalm of Protest 13

For Parkland, Florida

Against Gun Violence

For Orlando, For the USA

In Memoriam: Sandy Hook

After the Washington Navy Yard Shootings

Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child

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