Advent, Day 4

Psalm 90; Isaiah 1:24-31; Luke 11:29-32

I fear your justice,
O God of All Knowledge.
I fear your justice, for my stomach is full
and my kitchen is filled with more good things than I can eat,
while others of your children go hungry.
I fear your justice, for my home is warm,
and my walls and my roof are solid,
while others of your children have no safe shelter from the elements.
I fear your justice, for I have so many possessions,
many more things than I truly need,
while others of your children have nothing.
I fear your justice, O Lord, for I know that I am guilty.
I have such abundance while allowing others to live in scarcity.
When I worry, it is about how I will pay for car repairs and Christmas gifts.
Others worry about whether they will have food and shelter to survive the night.
I have not done all I could to help them.
I have not shared my abundance with those in need.
I have enjoyed so many gifts while doing so little to share those gifts with others.
I have seen your children hungry and imprisoned and I have not cared for them.
I have not loved my neighbors, your children, as I have loved myself.
Have mercy on me, O Lord.
Forgive my selfishness and my greed.
Forgive my apathy and inaction.
Transform me, Holy One.
Move my heart with compassion so that my actions follow your commands.
Give me eyes to see the injustice and inequality in the world,
and strength and courage to remedy it.
Teach me to recognize the difference between my selfish desires and real need,
and to work to meet real need wherever I encounter it.
Help me to follow more closely each day
the footsteps of Christ,
who had possession and dominion over the universe,
yet chose to become a lowly infant, born in a barn,
out of compassion for a world in need. Amen.