My closing prayer and photo album from tonight’s vigil in Los Angeles’ Grand Park, sponsored by L.A. Voice, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, and other organizations. Mayor Karen Bass was the principal speaker.
Holy God, Ice-T said it best. Ice-T said, “Los Angeles is a microcosm of the United States. If LA falls, the country falls.” So we’re here tonight to lift up our city on a cloud of prayer. Multicultural, polylingual, pluralistic – Los Angeles is America the beautiful. The most American city of them all, and by your grace, it will not fall. We’re here tonight to beseech you to lift the city of angels on the wings of angels.
Some people have a problem with LA. Forty states have smaller populations than Los Angeles County. That’s pretty scary to some people, God – you know that. We know how people act when they’re scared. And we your faithful servants know how we’re supposed act in these scary times.
First, we pledge to be peaceful witnesses. We can resist unjust authority without lifting a hand against our neighbor. These federal troops coming to Los Angeles – God, you know the mayor had it under control. But it’s not the soldiers’ and Marines’ fault. It wasn’t their idea. They’re not our enemies. They are brave United States volunteers.
But some people have a problem with LA – so by your grace, heavenly Father, we’re not going to give them their narrative of violence. And we beseech you to still the hand of anyone tempted to use violence against those who protest peacefully.
God of mercy, we’re also going tell the story of our neighbors who are undocumented workers – our friends being taken from their places of honest labor, ripped from the arms of their families and churches. Thirteen million of them nationwide, paying their taxes, caring for those they love, part of the foundation of the United States economy.
We’re going to sound the trumpet of truth, gracious God. These workers are members of our congregations, temples, mosques, and fellowships. We’re going to lift them up by telling their stories and by proclaiming that the time has come, after a century of arguments, for our politicians to regularize their status while restoring to their families and neighborhoods every soul that has been taken in these cruel workplace raids.
Finally, in one way or another, we all follow you, because you are the source of light and life, and you are the eternity of love toward which we are all bound. When our politics reward cruelty, we will lift up love. When people talk about the separation of church and state, we’ll get out the Bill of Rights, we’ll point to the First Amendment, and we’ll proclaim that there shall be no separation of church and state until powers and principalities, kings and presidents, obey the divine law of love.
By your grace, gracious God, Los Angeles will not fall. Los Angeles will rise. And by its example, Los Angeles will help draw this whole land closer and closer to the gates of your kingdom of justice and love. Amen.
