Published 10 Mar 2022
“I No Longer Pray For Peace”
A powerful prayer-poem by Ann Weems that challenges conventional ideas of peace, calling readers to pursue justice, courage, and compassionate action in a world marked by suffering and conflict.
By Ann WeemsA blog post Women Scholars and Professionals
"I No Longer Pray for Peace" by Ann Weems
On the edge of war, one foot already in,I no longer pray for peace:I pray for miracles.I pray that stone hearts will turnto tenderheartedness,and evil intentions will turnto mercifulness,and all the soldiers already deployedwill be snatched out of harm’s way,and the whole world will beastounded onto its knees.I pray that all the “God talk”will take bones,and stand up and shedits cloak of faithlessness,and walk again in its powerful truth.I pray that the whole world mightsit down together and shareits bread and its wine.Some say there is no hope,but then I’ve always applauded the holy foolswho never seem to give up onthe scandalousness of our faith:that we are loved by God...that we can truly love one another.I no longer pray for peace:I pray for miracles.
Photo by Tricia Gray on StockSnap.
Ann Weems (1934-2016) was a Presbyterian elder, a lecturer, and a popular poet. She authored Family Faith Stories, Reaching for Rainbows, Searching for Shalom, Kneeling in Bethlehem, Kneeling in Jerusalem, Psalms of Lament, and Putting the Amazing Back in Grace.