The Other Side of the Street

A Prayer by Walter Brueggemann

Just when we imagine that we have you figured out

you show up working the other side of the street

in your frightening freedom.

You meet us behind and before

as promise and as threat,

and we are overmatched whenever we sit to deal with you.

So we bid you to pay less vigorous attention to us

and we bid you to give us the freedom and courage

that we may withstand you

in ways that are proper to you and to us.

We pray in the name of the utterly humble One

whom you therefore exalted.

Give us wisdom and freedom

that we may sense the ways in which we may best live in this world

where the last become first and the first become last. Amen.