God Our Champion

Everyone needs a champion,
someone who will be in your corner, always,
someone watching your back,
someone watching you, treasuring you,
keeping you in their heart.

Parents are nature’s champions,
biologically led to love and nurture,
feed and foster,
support and sustain.
They can’t keep their eyes off you.

From Adam and Eve on,
parents creating babies,
caring for their offspring,
all part of God’s plan for fruitfulness,
the multiplication of love
from generation to generation.
And this is a true story,
a story for many happy people,
dearly beloved by happy parents.
Other true stories need telling;
parents who champion themselves
at the expense of their offspring,
parents who hate themselves and
have no room in their hearts for love,
parents who abandon children,
or who are forced to abandon children,
parents who die, leaving orphans.
Who will care for the motherless,
who will cherish the fatherless,
who will champion the neglected?

God our Father, Life-giver,
you cannot forget the child you created,
God our Mother, Life-sustainer,
you cannot forget the child you nurse.
God our Parent, our Protector,
you are an ever present help in times of trouble.
You are the champion of the orphan,
you seek out the lost and the lonely,
the smallest lamb will not escape your notice.
You carry us in your arms,
you speak tenderly,
you seek justice for us,
you pronounce judgement on those who hurt us.
You provide a place for us,
people who shepherd us and take us into their own flock.
You raise up communities of nurturers,
groups of people who will not let a single little one be lost.
Guardian of us all,
we give you thanks for mothers, fathers
and all who foster us;
gifts from your tender hands,
our Divine Champion. 

This can also be read by three readers, perhaps people of different ages, here is  a breakdown of parts:

1:  Everyone needs a champion,

someone who will be in your corner, always,

2:  someone watching your back,

3:  someone watching you, treasuring you,

1:  keeping you in their heart.

2:  Parents are nature’s champions,

biologically led to love and nurture,

3:  feed and foster,

1:  support and sustain.

2:  They can’t keep their eyes off you.

3:  From Adam and Eve on,

parents creating babies,

2:  caring for their offspring,

1:  all part of God’s plan for fruitfulness,

3:  the multiplication of love

from generation to generation.

2:  And this is a true story,

a story for many happy people,

dearly beloved by happy parents.

1:  Other true stories need telling;

parents who champion themselves

at the expense of their offspring,

3:  parents who hate themselves and

have no room in their hearts for love,

2:  parents who abandon children,

or who are forced to abandon children,

3:  parents who die, leaving orphans.

1:  Who will care for the motherless,

2:  who will cherish the fatherless,

3:  who will champion the neglected?

2:  God our Father, Life-giver,

you cannot forget the child you created,

1:  God our Mother, Life-sustainer,

you cannot forget the child you nurse.

3:  God our Parent, our Protector,

you are an ever present help in times of trouble.

2:  You are the champion of the orphan,

1:  you seek out the lost and the lonely,

3:  the smallest lamb will not escape your notice.

2:  You carry us in your arms,

you speak tenderly,

1:  you seek justice for us,

you pronounce judgement on those who hurt us.

3:  You provide a place for us,

people who shepherd us and take us into their own flock.

1:  You raise up communities of nurturers,

groups of people  who will not let a single little one be lost.

2:  Guardian of us all, we give you thanks for mothers,

3: fathers

1:  and all who foster us,

2:  loving gifts from your tender hands,

3:  our Divine Champion.