The Aftermath

The deeds are done,
the crimes are committed,
and many people continue to suffer.
How do we make things right
in the aftermath of great wrongs?
How do we do this when the wrongs
took place across centuries and continents,
and are still continuing today?
How do we do this
when we who benefit from injustice
don’t see the problem,
or address only a fraction of it?
We try to find a quick solution,
we don’t show our work.

God, you are the great Accountant.
You keep track of every story,
marking down every cry and every stony heart.
You know there is a way to reconcile
even this unbalanced world.
Be our teacher.
Give words to those who speak unspeakable accounts.
Give us humility, the willingness to listen
and the resolve to act on injustice.
Show us that compassion must always be added,
especially when great chasms of pain divide us.
Multiply wisdom in all of us,
and subtract all hopelessness.
You know the sum of all things,
and your ledger is just and true;
we trust in your bottom line.