New York is home. And this month, people in our city have been hurting and crying out for change. This past Sunday at the Soho service, Andi Andrew led a prayer of intercession for the families of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, for the march on Washington, and for all those people in our country who are grieving over recent tragedies. We wanted to share this special moment and join her prayer for race relations in America.

There’s unrest in our city. There’s unrest in our nation. As a church we can’t close our eyes to that.

I laid in bed last night. I couldn’t fall asleep…My heart is just breaking and praying for our nation—for unity! I might get a little bit emotional right now because I just know the heart of God and it’s not for what’s going on.

And I laid there and I said, “God, what is the answer?” And I felt like a hippie for a second because he just said, “Love.” And I was like, “God, for reals?”

We’re going to pray for our nation. We’re going to pray for our city.

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.”

—1 John 4:16–19

I just knew I wanted to pray for our city—for every tribe, for every tongue— for there to be unity amongst us and for us as believers, as those who carry that love, to not turn our eye or go, “I don’t know what to do!” Love one another! Love one another! No matter tribe, no matter tongue, no matter background. Love one another!

We carry the love of the Father with in us. We have the answer.

I’m going to ask you to do something uncomfortable. Is that ok? Some of you are like, “I’m going to hate this!” Because you are, like, Purell people. I’m going to ask you to hold hands with the person next to you as a sign of unity in the body of Christ, as us, as every tribe and tongue, every background. As we come together.

I know this may be new for you but I feel the Holy Spirit telling me to get on my knees and intercede for our nation. Just pray in your own way. Because God loves his people, and people’s hearts are breaking right now.

Father, we submit Michael Brown and Eric Garner’s families to you. We submit this nation to you, God. Seriously. God, we give this to you. May we be known by our unity and our love for one another, not by what breaks us apart. May our diversity bring unity, God. And bring the beauty of what this nation was meant to be founded on. We break the chains of injustice over this city, over this nation. We intercede for unity. We intercede for love to make a way where there isn’t a way…

God, I repent for what my ancestors did to the African-Americans and to every single person who was brought into this place unjustly…

So we just ask you to move and we are committed as a people to pray and we are committed as a people to love ourselves, to look people in the eyes, and to give them dignity, because every person deserves dignity and love.

We pray over Washington DC as people go down to protest peacefully. God, may your love be lifted up. And may the cries of this nation be heard. And may we actually use our right to vote and not sit back and be lazy and complain about the way things are, but be a people that make a difference. Amen.

Cover photo courtesy of Jennifer Talley.

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