By Menachem Creditor, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley, CA
Elohei Ha-ruhot, God of the Winds,
Yet again, we are pummeled by nature. Yet again, we call out to You.
Winds roared, waters surged, and now streets are yet again paved with bodies. Buildings crumbled, towns erased, and our sisters and brothers - Your Images, each and every one – have neither food nor water nor medicine. Please God, enough. How much ache can Your Heart and ours endure?
We turn to You, Adonai, because, as we recommit to helping others, we are so very, very hurt ourselves, pummeled to the soul by yet another fierce storm, perhaps the fiercest yet. We ask, yet again, for Your comforting strength as we, Your partners, work to create order amidst chaos.
In the face of devastation, we join voices in prayers for safety, resilience and hope. We call out to every fellow human being to care more than before, to overpower destruction with resolve, and to build the world that is into the world to come, heart by heart.
God, be with us as we utilize every network at our disposal to bring relief to the Philippines and beyond. Be with those on the ground as they cradle lives new and old, sheltering souls and bodies. Be with those studying humanity’s impact on nature so that we can learn from our mistakes. Open our hearts to generously and wisely support those best prepared to respond to this chaos. Be with us all, God. Please.
We ask You, Adonai, to comfort us, strengthen us, and support us as we rebuild, yet again. May all this be Your will.
Amen.