Let There Be Light

Let there be light, let there be understanding,
let all the nations gather, let them be face to face;
open our lips, open our minds to ponder,
open the door of concord opening into grace;
perish the sword, perish the angry judgment,
perish the bombs and hunger, perish the fight for gain;
hallow our love, hallow the deaths of martyrs,
hallow their holy freedom, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your spirit turn to language,
your people speak together, your spirit never fade;
let there be light, open our hearts to wonder,
perish the way of terror, hallow the world God made.

Francis Wheeler Davis, “Let There Be Light” (1968)

Today is the World Day of Prayer. Women in Canada and the US instituted its observance in 1922 and it is now celebrated in more than 170 countries. Each year a country is selected to host the unity and this year's service was written by Coptic women in Egypt. Also, it happened that this year my church hosted five others for the ecumenical gathering. I was honoured to be asked to present the reflection (aka sermon). On the one hand, it was simple to write because it was from the heart; on the other hand, it was difficult to write because it was from the heart. The words of the Egyptian women, the hymns and the prayers created a meaningful and deeply moving experience and I am grateful to have been a part of it and to have had this devotional connection to my beloved Egypt.