Faith Moves Mountains: Prayer Archive
... to the farmers who grow our food, the harvesters who pick it, the transporters who bring it to market, the grocers who present it, and the cooks who prepare it.
We're connected by what we eat... By Brian McLaren Living God, you are the Creator of this beautiful and fertile world. You made sun, rain, soil, air, seed, and seasons. We praise you for the green of lettuce, the yellow of lemon, the orange of a tangerine, and especially for the bright red of a tomato. They are beautiful to our eyes, delicious to our taste buds, and nourishing to our bodies. We pray to the Lord, Lord, hear our prayer. We thank you, Lord, for this grocery store. We thank you for the many ways Publix serves the community. We thank you for the employees who stock shelves and wax floors and serve as cashiers and help elderly people load their groceries into their cars. We thank you for the founder of Publix, George Jenkins, who said, “Don’t let making a profit stand in the way of doing the right thing,” and we thank you for Ed Crenshaw, his grandson, who wants to be guided by his grandfather’s example. We pray to the Lord, Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, we’re here today to pray for the hard-working people who harvest the tomatoes over in Immokalee. You know how hard they work in the hot sun. You know that they only get paid about 50 cents for every 32 pound bucket of tomatoes they pick. You love each farm worker and know each one by name, and you want for them what you want for every hard-working person: a fair wage for hard work. We pray to the Lord, Lord, hear our prayer. We’re also here today praying for Ed Crenshaw and all the associates of Publix. We’re asking that you will move their hearts to raise the pay for the tomato harvesters by just one penny per pound. We know that Publix is the largest company in Florida, and that Publix’s revenue was 25.3 billion last year. We know that even in this tough year of recession, profits are up 9.5% this year. So we know that just a penny per pound of tomatoes is something Ed Crenshaw and the whole Publix community could get behind and could actually be proud of. And so we pray to the Lord, Lord, hear our prayer. You are the God of compassion and fairness. Guide Ed Crenshaw to be a man of compassion and fairness like his grandfather. Guide the associates of Publix not to disappoint us customers who feel connected by the food we eat both to them and to the hard workers of Immokalee. And guide the Immokalee workers who are going to visit Mr. Crenshaw soon, traveling by bicycle to Lakeland. Give them good success in their visit. We pray with faith, hope, and love in our hearts, Lord, remembering Jesus’ words that your will would be done on earth as in heaven. And all God’s people said, “Amen.” |
By Lee Breyer God of the farmworker and creator of the universe. We gather here today, as part of your creation, / as brothers and sisters to one another. We gather here today in support of those who harvest our foods / and those who make food available to our tables. Help us to act with justice, / to love tenderly, / to serve one another, / to walk humbly with God. We know that there are real differences / but, with your grace, we can narrow them. We know that there are deep feelings / but, with your strength, We know that the road has been long / but, with your power, Bless Taco Bell and McDonalds, / Burger King and Whole Foods for their courage; / grant Publix the willingness to meet its challenge. Bless all of us here who are working for equality / in a world that needs solidarity and peace. Amen. |
This prayer from the Dhammapada (Buddhist scripture) is a prayer when those gathered focus intentions on drawing Publix into loving relationship. With the intention of Publix signing on with the Fair Food campaign, everyone (Publix, CIW, humanity!) benefits from this act of love that cherishes Life. I think this prayer is good for times when we who are in the struggle for justice need to remember that eventually, we are working towards not being on sides, but being in right relationship with one another. This is the true victory. The spirit of this prayer reminds me of the loving spirit of the Fast, especially the messages of hope and changing hearts that we left at the fence of Publix headquarters. ~Rev. Allison Farnum
Never does hatred cease by hating in return; |
This prayer or intention also embodies the spirit of the Fast, a tie in which the gathered group cultivated a sense of community and goodwill that extended beyond itself. In my conversations with fellow fasters and in the words of our compañeros and compañeras, our strength, grounded in Love and Faith, was- and is- without limit. - Rev. Allison Farnum
A Buddhist discourse or prayer of Loving-kindess or Goodwill
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Let us cultivate boundless goodwill. |
