American artist, Amy Pollein, who lives off the coast of Maine, has created this insightful painting titled, Peggy Rockerfeller Farm, Bar Harbor "March Thaw". Think of Spring's melting and perhaps dripping icicles or the breaking-up of pond ice first comes to mind. But this artist has shown us a deeply rutted, mud road thawing out in March. The snow, which had been plowed to the roadsides, is receding; the soft ruts of saturated ground are puddled with water.
Lent is the Church's Springtime. Might we pray for the melting of national hearts in a world that fails children. The sins against children are perhaps the most grievous of all.*
O God, melt the hearts of those
who abduct young girls for the sex trade,
who abduct young boys for soldiering,
who call the children of wars, collateral damage,
who turn young people into suicide bombs.
Melt these hearts, O God.
O God, thaw the hearts of those
who blame, lie, obstruct and divide, leaving children vulnerable,
who sneer and mock the world's attempts at justice for children,
whose repugnant money-grab plunders the world; despoiling the future,
who minimize the societal problems which affect children.
Thaw these hearts, O God.
O God, soften the hearts of those
whose votes leave children less safe,
who deny children the health care and education they deserve,
who trap children in the bitterness of family dysfunction, divorce and addiction,
who throw children away.
Soften these hearts, O God.
O God, defrost the hearts of those
who think the death of children solves problems,
whose pandering to power leaves young people exposed to dangers,
who ignore the hunger, thirst, nakedness, homelessness of children,
who exclude children from their hearts, all of whom are God's children; our children.
Defrost these hearts, O God.
*Do I think this prayer, or any other prayer, is going to eliminate these patterns of sin against children? Do I think even one heart will be melted, thawed, softened, defrosted? That's not why I pray this way. All that matters is that when God looks into me and sees my heart, God sees a heart alive with compassion. Compassion-ated. Compassion is deep feeling with the suffering of all life.
