Prayer to End 20 Years of US Warmaking in Iraq
by Art Laffin
Loving God, we beg your forgiveness for twenty years of US warmaking in Iraq–for destroying Iraq’s infrastructure by massive bombings, for using highly toxic weapons, including depleted uranium, that contaminated Iraq’s land and water, and which have caused cancer, severe birth defects and other illnesses for numerous Iraqis.
Forgive us for imposing economic sanctions that killed over one million Iraqi’s, mostly children.
Forgive us for invading, occupying and destablizing Iraq, causing over one million deaths and diplacement and long-term trauma for countless Iraqis.
Forgive us for placing oil interests above human welfare.
Heal us of our moral blindness and fill our hearts with love.
Help us to renounce all killing, torture and violence, to stop demonizing our adversaries, to value all life as sacred, and to see the Iraqi people and all Muslims and Arabs as our brothers and sisters.
Help us to truly repent for the sin of war and to make reparations to the Iraqi people.
Empower us to engage in nonviolent action calling for an immediate withdrawl of all US military forces and private contractors from Iraq, and for an end to US warmaking and military intervention everywhere.
O God, make us channels of your peace and reconciliation.
Amen.
(Revised from prayer Art Laffin wrote in 1998 for Pax Christi USA)
