Reading · For Curious & Aching Hearts

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Were I to take a moment of silence—
appropriate, insufficient—
for every child blasted by our bombs,
cuffed and abducted by our “law,”
crying out for Dad and Mom,
afraid to play or go to school,
made shallow in breath,
forced to face displacement, death,
discarded like pawns,
at home and abroad,
by our legalized, “Christian”-ized
terrorist squads,
	baptized in “might (and white) makes right,”
	“God and guns” and other demonic stuff . . .
Were I to pause, mouth covered by my hand,
	holding my breath
		as I wait for pulpits
			and worship services
				to (at bare minimum)
					weep for them,
would I ever
speak,
or breathe,
again?

Sometimes we don’t know where to start. All the news. All the injustices. Beginning with lament allows us to align our hearts with the Spirit of God, who, at times, speaks only in groans (Romans 8:26).

I had the privilege to offer a prayer of lament to World Relief’s Prayer Guide. You can read it and other helpful prayers here.

I’d also like to highlight the work that The Central Florida chapter of The Micah Movement is doing. Check it out here.

Rev. Dr. Jeanette Salguero and Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NALEC) choosing to use their voices on Silent Saturday (Holy Saturday), 2026, in Orlando, FL, with The Central Florida Micah Movement.

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A Moment of Silence

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