Prayer for COP27 Leaders and Delegates*
Sunday November 6, 2022
God of all nations and peoples,
You are the creator of the earth and all life on it,
Human beings and humming birds,
Cyprus trees and calico cactus,
Bengal tigers and honey bees.
You have created soil, air and water to nourish and sustain life,
Soil to plant food to eat
Air to breathe
Water to replenish
You are a gardener and have commissioned us to care for the garden.
Today we confess we have not been faithful stewards of your garden.
We have polluted the land with toxins
We have exploited the earth for short-term profits
We have exterminated so many of your precious species,
We have filled the skies with dangerous levels of CO2
Give us a new heart to care for your creation as much as we care for our national and political power.
Create within us an open mind to think about the well-being of the masses people vulnerable to the decisions of the few.
Restore within us an ancient wisdom to replenish the land for future generations and not merely use it for our immediate desires.
Shape a humble spirit among us so we might hear the voices of our sacred prophets showing us how to live, love and care for all your creation.
Then give our peoples, our citizens, our leaders, our compatriots the same
New hearts,
Open minds,
Ancient wisdom
Humble spirit.
Breathe your breath on this COP27 event so that we might hear and speak and act in accordance with your perfect will, our Creator and Redeeming of heaven and earth. Amen
* COP27 is the United Nations Annual Meeting to address climate change. It is meeting for the 27th consecutive time since 1995 in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt November 6-20.