A PRAYER FOR CHRISTCHURCH
Avinu sh’ba Shamayim—God our Parent up in heaven.
Avinu sh’ba-artez—God our parent deep in the earth.
Avinu sh’ba eish u’ba mayim—God our Parent in the fire and the water:
Be with our country now.
One of our great cities lies in ruins.
Walls have tumbled and buildings crumbled.
Prayers are rushed and lives are crushed.
Be with them. Be with us.
Tzur Yisrael, O solid rock of Israel,
Help us now to help those in need.
Help us now to help those who bleed.
Im kol m’odecha—with all your raw force, help us to give help, true and lasting.
When they reach out for water, let us give them drink.
When they reach out for housing, let us give them beds.
When they reach out for solace, let ours be the shoulders, the ears, the smiles.
When they reach out for help, let their hands find our hands.
Now and in the months to come.
Where do we find you, O God? We find You in hands outstretched and hearts opened, not in the tremble and the tumble and the terror. We cloak ourselves in concrete and steel. You cloak yourself in love and compassion.
Help us to rebuild, and in so doing to dedicate ourselves to the greatest of all blessings: life.
A Prayer in Response to the Earthquake in Christchurch
Rabbi Dean Shapiro
RabbiDean@BethShalom.org.nz
