Bedtime Prayer?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

They keep coming – the messengers of peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

The nature of the happiness that we pursue so eagerly makes a world of difference.
Global domination cannot provide it any more than money can. Until we surrender to your domination, lasting happiness lies beyond our orbit of experience.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“What do you think, James? Should I try out for Jewish Idol?”

[Didn’t try hard enough, I guess. But He never said it.]

D. Blog: If I Should Die Before I Wake

That line from a commonly taught child’s bedtime prayer troubles me. I know that’s not what Jesus had in mind when He said “Let the children come to me.” And it seems a very frightening thing to teach children as a prayer.

Unless…

Perhaps it’s a prayer that we grown-ups should consider for ourselves. Suppose it’s not about the possibility of not waking from physical sleep. Suppose we were to die before awakening to the light of Earth’s beauty, of life’s wonder, of the miraculous presence of the Divine in us and our neighbors? Suppose we die before we waken to experience the radiance of sharing love, forgiveness, compassion, justice and peace? Suppose we die before we waken to the shining hope of divine dominion in and among us?

Then perhaps we should pray for the Holy One to take our souls.