"A Prayer in the Aftermath of Hurricane Ian"
By Rabbi Danielle Upbin, Clearwater, FL
Elohei Ruach L'chol Ba’sar:
“God, the Spirit/Wind of all flesh”:
God who watches over us,
Watch over the victims of wind and water.
Watch over emergency response teams.
Guide displaced residents to safety.
Guide their animals to loving shelters.
Kol Adonai al ha’mayim…
V’ Kol Adonai aleinu.
The voice of God thunderers over rushing waters…
And the voice of God is upon us to heed through action.
Kol Adonai Ba’Koach…
V’Kol Adonai b’yadeinu.
The voice of God roars with might - in hurricanes, flood, and drought.
And the voice of God echoes in our response to suffering.
The rivers may rise and rage.
The waters may pound and pulsate
The floods may swirl and storm.
Yet - God’ voice is heard above the waters
And God’s voice is heard in our efforts to help.
We thank You for our moment of safety. Yet, we are mindful that when one community suffers, we all suffer: An inextricable bond of shared resources, land and sea, entrusted to us to till and to tend.
Ha’rachaman - God of Compassion: We know that all power is You, but we ask to share a portion of this power to be effective responders. Teach us to be Your hands: to stitch together a new world that reflects the perfected vision of ONE human community. Let us not be victims of complacency.
Kol Adonai Ba’Koach. The voice of God roars with might… V’Kol Adonai Aleinu. And God’s voice whispers in our hearts, pleading with us to be stewards and co-creators of a safe, inhabitable planet for all.