As followers of Jesus, praying is an essential way to love and care for something.
We pray for our family; we pray for our friends; we pray for our leaders; we even pray for our enemies. We pray for the success of our neighbors; we pray for their comfort; we pray for their health; we pray for their growth. But are there neighbors we leave out of our prayers? Do we ever pray for our non-human neighbors God has created and filled the earth with? I invite you join me in praying this litany from the Episcopal Church, which can serve as a guide into prayer for the well-being of all of our neighbors, non-human and human, inanimate and animate. It broadens my prayers and hope it does the same for you.
A Litany for the Planet
On your earth, the garden of life,
Creator, have mercy.
On soil, that it may be fruitful in all seasons,
Creator, have mercy.
On rocks and minerals that form the foundations for life,
Creator, have mercy.
On volcanoes and lava flows that reveal the power of earth’s core,
Creator, have mercy.
On hills and great mountains; on cliffs, caves, and valleys,
Creator, have mercy.
On deserts and their hardy creatures,
Creator, have mercy.
On your waters, which sustain a diverse community of life,
Creator, have mercy.
On coral reefs, and on the animals, plants, and fish that inhabit them,
Creator, have mercy.
On ocean deeps, teeming with life; on the open seas and all that travel upon them,
Creator, have mercy.
On rivers, bringing water to thirsty places,
Creator, have mercy.
On lakes and streams, home to a diversity of life,
Creator, have mercy.
On ponds and marshes, cradles of life,
Creator, have mercy.
On wetlands and estuaries; on rocky coasts and beaches,
Creator, have mercy.
On islands and atolls, oases and all harsh outposts of life,
Creator, have mercy.
On glaciers and ice fields, holding the delicate balance of waters,
Creator, have mercy.
On storms, floods, and tempests, and all fearsome forces of weather,
Creator, have mercy.
On rains that water the earth, causing plants to sprout and grow,
Creator, have mercy.
On snow and hail, sleet and winter cold, and on the dormant things that wait for spring,
Creator, have mercy.
On mists and fog silently watering the ground,
Creator, have mercy.
On the atmosphere of your planet earth, that it may sustain all that breathes,
Creator, have mercy.
On winds that carry seeds and spores; on breezes that warm and cool the earth,
Creator, have mercy.
On lightnings and fires that cleanse and destroy, and on all that lies in their path,
Creator, have mercy.
On all the ecosystems of your earth and their intricate communities,
Creator, have mercy.
On forests of many kinds; on trees and shrubs and vines,
Creator, have mercy.
On grasslands, tundras, and plains, and on their varied plants,
Creator, have mercy
On ferns and fungi; on spore-bearing and seed-bearing plants,
Creator, have mercy.
On micro-organisms of endless variety, the complex and the simple,
Creator, have mercy
On reptiles and amphibians,
Creator, have mercy.
On four-legged creatures,
Creator, have mercy.
On two-legged and winged creatures,
Creator, have mercy.
On many-legged creatures and insects,
Creator, have mercy.
On mysterious creatures and places unknown to humankind,
Creator, have mercy.
On the human family across the globe, of many colors and communities, in kinship with all creation,
Creator, have mercy.
This planet is a magnificent creation, both as a foundational structure and as a habitat for all the creatures that live within its sphere. As I pray through this litany I am reminded of the planet's many nooks and crannies and the multitude upon multitude of creatures that inhabit those nooks and crannies. I name them, lift them to their creator, let my heart think of them with gratitude and amazement, and ask God's mercy to be upon them.
As I pray and am reminded of the diversity this planet supports, I am reminded of the Creator who sustains all of that diversity. With the same power and love that God sustains my life every day, he sustains every other member of this beloved planet. Motivated by the love I have (and strive to have) toward all the Creator has made, I pray for his mercy to fall with power upon us all.
I pray not only for each of these parts as separate entities, but also remember, celebrate and pray for the interconnectedness of all these part of creation. I pray for God's mercy on those connections and dependencies. Throughout this litany, I picture the things I am praying for, and lift them up to the one who created and loves them. I rejoice and am grateful for the kinship all members of this creation share and thank our Creator for including me in this wonderful world.
This litany is, by design, adjustable. These are the lines I am drawn to add to this prayer today.
I recognize the huge gaps in my knowledge and the huge gaps in humankind's knowledge of this planet. In humility I acknowledge that ignorance,
Creator, have mercy.
In light of all I do not know about this planet and the connections within it,
Creator, have mercy
In light of all the things I wrongly believe about this planet, I lift up this earth and its Creator and sustainer and pray,
Creator, have mercy
Reflection Questions: Is praying for non-human members of creation part of your prayer life? If not, is this something you would consider adding to your practice?
Louise
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