Thank you for human ingenuity, God,
for our ability to think and reason
and figure things out.
Thank you for people who toil away
year after year in laboratories,
hypothesizing and testing,
and re-hypothesizing and re-testing.
The result is a world largely free from small-pox,
free from epidemics of polio,
free from the scourge of mumps, measles, tetanus,
and scores more diseases.
Thank you for countries rich enough
to devote money to universal health-care,
and for the doctors and nurses
who give and track vaccines.
In a world where some of our worst enemies
are unseen to the naked eye,
science is our first defence
I give thanks for the long lifespans
so many can reach in our time.
There are many who are suspicious of science,
who would rather believe random opinions
they find on the internet.
Wisdom is in short supply,
and yet it is desperately needed,
especially for politicians who make public health decisions.
Thank you for the future,
where scientists will have new breakthroughs,
helping those who are paralyzed walk,
giving a voice to those who cannot speak,
and sight to the blind.
Your healing hand will guide them. Amen.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.