O Holy God,
Light of the world, who came into our darkness;
Lover of all, who came into our hostility;
Word of truth, who came into our delusion;
—come again, O Lord.
You did not come as presidents or prime ministers or kings come;
but swaddled in a manger, vulnerable, enfleshed,
thence as a man of sorrows.
You did not come as the mighty and the generals and the warriors come;
but as one armed only with truth and the weapon of love,
thus as one who suffers.
You did not come as those grasping after wealth or privilege come;
but as one calling us to mercy,
yet you received no mercy.
—come again, O Lord.
O light of the world, it has been long since your coming,
and our world is in darkness still;
O lover of all humankind, it has been long since your coming,
and our world is hostile still;
O word of truth, it has been long since your coming,
and our world is deluded still.
—come again, O Lord.
Amen.