a blessing for collective grief

God, we are blindsided
what we thought was impossible,
even unthinkable
has brought us to our knees.

God, things don’t make sense,
the innocent still suffer,
buildings still fall,
families still grieve.

Help us to know what to feel,
what to do,
how to grieve—together.

Blessed are we
who let reality in
though our bodies shudder.
blessed are we
who ask and wait, and ask again
for answers that may not come,
for hope that seems hard to find,
for comfort that is not easily found.

Along the way
show us how to live
when we’ve lost the things
we cannot get back.

Remind us that you, oh God,
are our home and our refuge
when life’s cruelty and our fragility
are too difficult to shoulder alone.
be with us, oh God of all comfort.