During times of turmoil, this is a prayer to which I often return. It is quoted in Rabbi Harold Kushner’s classic book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.”
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“We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end war;
For we know that You have made the world in a way
That man must find his own path to peace
Within himself and with his neighbor.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end starvation;
For You have already given us the resources
With which to feed the entire world
If we would only use them wisely.
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to root out prejudice;
For You have already given us eyes
With which to see the good in all men
If we would only use them rightly.
We cannot pray to You, O God, to end despair;
For You have already given us the power
To clear away slums and to give hope
If we would only use our power justly.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end disease;
For You have already given us great minds
With which to search out cures and healing,
If only we would use them constructively.
Therefore we pray to You instead, O God,
For strength, determination, and willpower,
To do instead of just to pray,
To become instead of merely to wish.”
~Jack Riemer
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