Unhoused Neighbor
by Becca Robins
Neighbor, I pray for you.
May God shield you, protect you, and defend you
From the cold, the hard earth, the icy winds,
And from the plots of anyone bent on your harm.
May your mind, body, soul, and spirit be guarded from all evil.
May you find shelter under His pinions
And refuge under His wings.
May God who sets the lonely in families lead you into community
A place to know and be known.
May you find people who are able to see you,
And be bold enough to allow yourself to be seen.
May the love of God be known to you in eating and drinking,
Flesh and blood togetherness of one another.
May God who gives endurance and encouragement
Call you forward into His Kingdom.
May you know you are worth this effort.
When you find your resilience and fortitude wanting,
May you be awed by His compassionate invitation to surrender.
And Neighbor, pray for me.
May God shield me, protect me, and defend me
From my cold assumptions
And my fears of learning more of your story,
From my hardened instinct to protect myself
And not enter the messiness of someone else’s life.
May God who sets the lonely in families lead me into community
May God teach me to think creatively
About expanding my experience of community
To include you and me at the same tables.
May I receive from you, know you, and be known by you,
Flesh and blood togetherness of one another.
And may God who gives endurance and encouragement
Call me forward in building His Kingdom with you—here.
May I surrender to His good work and endure the weight
Of unknown outcomes, untested processes, and unquantified results.
May I be awed by His compassionate invitation to surrender.
Amen.
