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  "description": "A Prayer for the Week and Resources for Sunday, May 24, 2026",
  "path": "/when-hatred-and-gun-violence-collide-letuspray/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-21T12:53:54.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.reyes-chow.com",
  "tags": [
    "LetUsPray",
    "The Revised Common Lectionary",
    "The Narrative Lectionary",
    "another shooting",
    "driven by white supremacist ideology",
    "another day of gun violence in America",
    "young people filled with hate",
    "students being traumatized at school",
    "heroes",
    "How Long, Oh Lord?: A Prayerbook Concerning Gun Violence",
    "RCL Year A Readings",
    "NRSV",
    "Acts 2:1-21",
    "Numbers 11:24-30",
    "Psalm 104:24-34, 35b",
    "1 Corinthians 12:3b-13",
    "John 20:19-23",
    "John 7:37-39",
    "NL442 Readings",
    "CEB",
    "Philippians 4:4-7",
    "John 14:16-17",
    "Vanderbilt Revised Common Lectionary",
    "The Narrative Lectionary from The Working Preacher",
    "Gift Subscription",
    "🧧 Gift Subscription",
    "Subscribe now"
  ],
  "textContent": "****Weekly #LetUsPray****\n\nI offer this weekly #LetUsPray as a way to stay anchored amidst the turmoil of the day. Paid subscribers have access to liturgical resources and sermon prompts based on the week's readings from The Revised Common Lectionary and/or The Narrative Lectionary.\n\nAntisemitism, Islamophobia, conflating Judaism with Israel, and the rise in anti-Muslim hate speech by public leaders have led to too many deaths, grief, rage, and trauma — that will take generations to heal.\n\nThis week, there was another shooting reportedly driven by white supremacist ideology. Just another day of gun violence in America. It seems society, as a whole, has become numb to the bloodshed and has resigned itself to the idea that our addiction to guns and the epidemic of gun violence are normal and unavoidable.\n\nI get it, being overwhelmed by the number of issues confronting society today, but we must not become more indifferent to gun violence — the terror it causes, the grief it creates, or the retribution it generates. We must not normalize young people filled with hate, students being traumatized at school, or the growing rollcall of heroes who give up their lives protecting others. Instead, we must continue to raise our collective voices and act in ways that say there is a different way of living in a world of conflict and confrontation. We must keep working to change the political will of our public servants as well as our cultural connection to guns.\n\n**For those who continue to scream this from the mountaintops, thank you, and please don't stop.**\n\nThe following prayer is one I submitted for the project, How Long, Oh Lord?: A Prayerbook Concerning Gun Violence (Code BRC for 20% off). The number of instances of hatred being lived out through gun violence can be paralyzing and overwhelming, so if you need a prayer, I hope this prayer helps...\n\n* * *\n\n### When Hatred and Gun Violence Collide #LetUsPray\n\n _let us pray —_\n\n _god of every hue and every human,\ngun violence, fueled by hate, is not your will._\n\n_the depth of our sorrow cannot be measured\nas groans of grief vibrate in our bones\nand the needless loss of life surpasses understanding_\n\n _but what can we expect when we live in\na culture that justifies hatred\nbecause of who one worships\nbecause of who one loves\nbecause of where one was born\nbecause of what one looks like\nbecause of what one does\nbecause of one’s passions\nbecause of one’s politics\nbecause of how one simply moves through the world_\n\n _. . . and, god, often this hatred is sown in your holy name._\n\n_and what can we expect when guns are so deeply embedded\nin our culture when guns are gamified without discretion\nwhen guns are glorified as tools of power\nwhen our response to gun violence is more guns\nwhen gun profit has more power than human potential\nwhen guns are too easy to get\nwhen global siblings have shown us a different way\nwhen we have lost our ability to embody nuance, embrace sensibility, and mine wisdom.\nwhen it feels like we have thrown up our hands and given up._\n\n_god, we have lost our way._\n\n_and yet, god, you have greater expectations for us\nyou expect us to choose a path of life over death\nto choose possibility over profit\nto choose acceptance over exclusion\nto choose grace over retribution\nto choose discernment over disregard\nto think\nto pray\nto act\nand above all\nto choose love over hate._\n\n_for these things we pray — amen._\n\n* * *\n\nFor those of us who have been personally touched by gun violence, whenever these things happen, feelings and memories come flooding back. If that is you, you are seen and held by many in the same way I am sure see and hold others.\n\nPeace,\n\n## LITURGY AND PREACHING PROMPTS\n\n#### The Day of Pentecost, May 24, 2026\n\nRCL Year A Readings **(** NRSV**):** Acts 2:1-21**or** Numbers 11:24-30 | Psalm 104:24-34, 35b | 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13**or** Acts 2:1-21 | John 20:19-23**or** John 7:37-39\nNL442 Readings **(** CEB**):** Acts 2:1-21 | Philippians 4:4-7 | John 14:16-17\n\nIn writing liturgy, I attempt to be economical with words while addressing the events of the day in ways that help people find grounding in their faith. For readings, I refer to the Vanderbilt Revised Common Lectionary **(RCL)** and The Narrative Lectionary from The Working Preacher **(NL)**. Paid Subscribers should please feel free to use any of the liturgical resources with or without attribution.\n\nGift Subscriptions\n\nIf you find this weekly prayer, liturgy, or any other aspects of The Amalgamation meaningful, I would not hate it if you shared the joy with others by purchasing a Gift Subscription.\n\n\n                            🧧 Gift Subscription\n                        \n\n* * *\n\n### This post is for subscribers only\n\nBecome a member to get access to all content\n\nSubscribe now",
  "title": "When Hatred and Gun Violence Collide #LetUsPray",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-21T12:53:54.181Z"
}