Bishop Scott Mayer has issued a call for prayers for our Jewish neighbors in Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, for the man holding the hostages, and for the first responders trying to bring about a peaceful end to the situation.
———–
On Saturday morning, as members of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville gathered for Sabbath worship, a man reportedly carrying a gun interrupted the service and took at least four people, including Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, hostage.
The Colleyville Police Department, the FBI, and the Department of Public Safety are on the scene. Negotiations are ongoing with the man holding the hostages. As I write this, there are no reports that anyone has been injured.
Several members of this congregation are well-known to Episcopalians in The Episcopal Church in North Texas, as they are part of the Sisters of the Spirit group that meets at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Keller.
In times such as this, feelings of helplessness sweep over us all. But know that right now, Jews and Christians and Muslims all over are joining in prayer for a peaceful resolution to this standoff. Prayer is a powerful force, so I urge all Episcopalians to join in this prayer today for the safety of our Jewish neighbors in Colleyville, for the man who is holding the hostages, and for the law enforcement officers working to resolve the situation.
A Jewish Prayer for Peace at Night offers this:
Grant, O God, that we lie down in peace, and raise us up, our Guardian, to life renewed. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace. Guide us with Your good counsel; for Your Name’s sake, be our help. Shield and shelter us beneath the shadow of Your wings. Defend us against enemies, illness, war, famine and sorrow. Distance us from wrongdoing. For You, God, watch over us and deliver us. For You, God, are gracious and merciful. Guard our going and coming, to life and to peace evermore.
This Muslim Prayer for Peace offers this:
In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things. And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say “PEACE.”
This prayer for First Responders is adapted from the Book of Blessings, #587, by Diana Macalintal:
Blessed are you, Lord, God of mercy, who through your Son gave us a marvelous example of charity and the great commandment of love for one another. Send down your blessings on these your servants, who so generously devote themselves to helping others. Grant them courage when they are afraid, wisdom when they must make quick decisions, strength when they are weary, and compassion in all their work. When the alarm sounds and they are called to aid both friend and stranger, let them faithfully serve you in their neighbor. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
And our own Book of Common Prayer offers this:
O merciful God, who has taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men and women: Look with pity upon the sorrows of your people for whom our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Holy One, in mercy, nourish their souls with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace. Amen.