Teach Us What It Means to Pray
by Richard Bruxvoort Colligan and Bret Hesla
Teach us what it means to pray
in all this world of sorrow
Teach us what it means to pray
and do our part for good
More than duty, more than words can say
Teach us what it means to pray
Teach us what it means to live
with a whole heart on this planet
Teach us what it means to live
even only for this breath
What is ours to take and what to give?
Teach us what it means to live
Teach us what it means to try
to heal a world split open
Teach us what it means to try
to share another’s pain
One part suffers, all creation cries
Teach us what it means to try
Teach us what it means to live
Teach us what it means to pray
Words and music by Richard Bruxvoort Colligan and Bret Hesla. © 2017 Worldmaking.net(ASCAP). All rights reserved. Use with permission, please. Licensed via OneLicense.net, CCLI and Worldmaking.net. Contact: Richard@worldmaking.net
I understand prayer very differently today than I did when I was younger. I’m pretty sure that’s true for most of us. In fact, I’m overflowing with questions and uncertainty; the older I get, and the more complicated the world reveals itself to be.
But I’m not troubled by this uncertainty. I just try to marinate in it, and find the healing and wholeness within it. These words try to capture some of that comfortable discomfort. I sent them to my friend Richard and he returned them as a song. (The moral of that story is, if you want to collaborate with someone, it works best if you find someone who can do 90% of the work. Thanks Richard.)