More God

While I'm on the topic of Christianity, here's three prayers I just translated from Swedish and links to dad's updated website (www.skolhuset.nu) and latest book (www.innerlighet.se).

65
Prayer of the United Nations

Source of Life and Goodness, our Earth is but a speck of dust
It is our task now, to make it a planet
where no one suffers war, hunger or fear
where no one is rejected for country, appearance or opinion

Source of Life and Goodness, bless us with courage and foresight
to carry out this task
so that our children and grandchildren
may call themselves human with pride


76
Creation

Endless window panes, a thousand million suns
shine like fire in your universe
Our tiny Earth is hard to spot
You, who made all this: Give us meaning

You filled space with dark matter
It holds the Milky ways together
Oh, if only we could hold together in love
Make the tender bonds between us strong

You chartered the depths of the black holes,
where time itself deforms
What approaches them shines violently
Protect us at our precipice, ignite the light in us

You created endless oceans of time
that stretch out long before the Earth was formed
Man is younger still, only a child
Give us the hope and the courage to live

Earth, your cosmic pearl, brilliantly beautiful,
sea and flowing plains and jagged mountains
Perils from space but also from ourselves
Protect your treasure, our only home

See these wonderful plants and animals,
myriad riches, never seizing to amaze
formed by your chance and merciless struggle
Teach us respect, don't let us harm

You, who blessed us with perception
senses that show us order, meaning and form,
perpetually you recreate the world within us
Give us your creative flame, and teach us to relax

- Bengt Gustafsson (1943-)


205
Facing change

Source of Life and Goodness, help us face that which we do not understand
Grant us courage to face the new,
patience to comprehend the strange
and wisdom to receive the good that hides where we least expect it

Help us honour all good will and honest strife
And if we reject the views of another
help us to accept her as a human being

- Adapted from William Penn (1644-1718)