A Prayer for the Victims, Communities in Buffalo and Laguna Woods

We lament the racially motivated mass shootings at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and a church in Laguna Woods, California. We pray for the victims, their families, and these communities. We reaffirm our commitment to work for a world shaped by God’s all-inclusive love, and we offer this prayer:

Merciful and loving God, Cries of lament disrupt the joy and new life of spring as we mourn the violence in our world. Especially, we pray for your healing balm in the communities of Buffalo and Laguna Woods. Disrupt the patterns of racist hatred and violence in our world. Where differences divide us, make way for flourishing and true community. Draw us ever deeper into your all-inclusive love. In your name we pray, amen.