Steve Garnaas-Holmes: A prayer for Mandela

As of July 1, the condition of former South African leader Nelson Mandela was "still critical but stable," according to the office of President Jacob Zuma.  Mandela, 94, has been in a Pretoria hospital since June 8 with a lung infection. "We remind all South Africans to begin planning for Madiba's birthday on the 18th of July. We must all be able to do something good for humanity on this day, in tribute to our former president," President Zuma said. 

People around the world are keeping this great humanitarian in our thoughts and our prayers.  Here is a touching prayer from Bread for the World member, Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes:

God of life,
for a brother of our peace,
walking on the edge of life,
we hold open our hearts.

For a father of our hope,
standing at the heart of life,
we raise our heads.

To all those whose longing
looks so much like him,
we extend our hands.

For the world we have seen in him
rising in us no less mightily
we stand.

All whose gifts are yet imprisoned,
whose lives are not yet freed,
we remember, and we embrace.

The courage you gave him lives in us;
our gratitude for him unites us,
one love, one Spirit.

What he has accomplished is in our hands;
what he has not yet accomplished
is in our hands.

God of mercy, God of justice, Gentle One,
Our Mighty Hope,
you who forgive and transform and smile,

in his honor give us vision,
in his will give us a future,
in his spirit give us ourselves.

Amen.

-Steve Garnaas-Holmes
from the blog Unfolding Light