On Tuesday September 22, 2020 the United States passed the milestone of 200,000 deaths due to Covid-19. This is a lament for those we’ve lost.

God, we hold up to you these lives:
These 200,000 lost to us.
We know they are not lost -
You hold them in your mercy and love.

We commend to you their care.
Heal them there,
Close to your inimitable light
And your unfailing Love.

We grieve alongside their families and loved ones.
They have departed, but will not be forgotten.
For we know that death is not an end to their story,
Only of this human chapter.

We lament the failed leadership that did not keep them safe.
We lament the state of a government willing to let people die needlessly.
We lament the political system that makes it expedient to sacrifice human lives.
We lament the lack of regard for vulnerable people.
We lament the lack of regard for human life.
We lament the inaction and apathy of people in political power.

We know, despite everything, that death is always a risk,
That safety from death is an illusion;
And also, we know that we are safe in your care every moment.
You catch us as we fall.

Bring us now into the necessary awareness
To make change,
To create a more just world,
To care for the least powerful,
To prevent further suffering and loss of life,
To endure this season of grief,
To heal the trauma we have collectively sustained,
To comfort those overwhelmed by suffering.

Hear the voice of our pain, oh God.
Amen