A Litany for Safety in our Public Schools
ONE: Out of the depths of anxiety and fear we cry to you, O God.
ALL: Lord, hear our cry.
ONE: Remember, in your mercy, children, youth and adults who do not feel safe in our public schools.
ALL: Grant them courage each day to confront their fears, to comfort and strengthen one another, and to work together for change.
ONE: Remember, in your mercy, those students who fear going to school each day because they are victims of bullying, harassment and hate perpetrated by their peers.
ALL: Help them to claim their right to an education free from fear, to persevere amid adversity, to endure despite damage done to their self esteem and to their emotional and physical selves.
ONE: Remember, in your mercy, those students, teachers and administrators who witness violations of human dignity without intervening, those whose silence and apathy encourage acts and words of bullying, harassment and hate.
ALL: Speak to their hearts, O God. Help them to find their voices and the will to intervene immediately, even when they must, themselves, pay a price in popularity.
ONE: Remember, in your mercy, all parents who entrust their children to our public schools, rightfully expecting them to receive a quality education and support for social development in a safe, secure environment.
ALL: Help them to find peace of mind through determined involvement in efforts to make schools a safer place for their children and secure, productive work environments for teachers and administrators.
ONE: Remember, in your mercy, individuals, community organizations, businesses and churches working conscientiously to bring equitable financial and other resources to our public schools.
ALL: Grant them, grant us, the will to organize to confront every obstacle, to remove every barrier, including prejudice and the hostility it breeds, until our public schools are safe environments for all.
ONE: Hear our prayer, O God.
ALL: Hear our prayer. Amen.
Litany by the Rev. Bill Johnson, 1999