14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filledto the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3: 14-19)
After an extremely difficult time in our ministry, we moved to Nairobi for my husband to work at the national church headquarters. A friend and I met weekly to hold each other accountable for working on a passage of scripture. She chose this prayer by Paul found in his letter to the Ephesians. It starts with Paul’s appreciation that all peoples on earth derive their name. The appreciation that all people are humans to be respected is core in this prayer and Thanksgiving whether we agree with the exact historical unfolding of facts, acknowledges the humanity and value of the Indian Nations we lived with in the colonies. We pray for power in the inner being of “the other” with whom we live and who enriches our lives with diversity. And may we pray at this Thanksgiving that we would all be rooted in love for our fellow citizens who may be different than us in their beliefs and customs but who share space with us. Appreciation helps us extend forgiveness when we are irritated with another. lord, help us to look with eyes that see past color and language and can affirm the good in others.
On the Way to Wonder 