A police officer carries a young girl as her family follows after they fled their home due to floods along Tidwell Road in east Houston, Texas, on Aug. 28. Photo by Adrees Latif/Reuters Are You watching, God?
Have You seen the innocent swept away?
Are You listening God?
Have You heard their cries?
Be with them, God.
Be their strength and their comfort.
Let them know You are near.
Work through us, God.
Teach us to be Your messengers on earth.
Wake us up, God,
Show us how to help.
Use us, God, shine through us,
Inspire us to rebuild the ruins.
Open our hearts so we can comfort the mourning.
Open our arms so we can extend our hands to those in need.
Shake us out of our complacency, God.
Be our guide,
Transform our helplessness into action,
Our generous intentions into charity,
Turn the prayers of our souls into acts of kindness and compassion.
Amen.
Rabbi Naomi Levy is the author of To Begin Again, Talking to God and the forthcoming Einstein and the Rabbi: Searching for the Soul (Macmillan) and the spiritual leader of Nashuva in Los Angeles.
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