A Morning Prayer For Diversity And Inclusion

As we give thanks for the light of each new day, this prayer reminds us to work today and always, to help build a gentler, kinder world
than the world we know today. We are encouraged to help shape a society where every person is accepted not because of what they can contribute to the community, but simply because they exist.

Photo by Alexander Grey
Background Music: relaxing-piano-music-meditation

Transcript

Dear friends,

A morning prayer for diversity and inclusion.

As I give thanks for the light of this new day,

I pray that I may work today and always to help build a gentler,

Kinder world than the one we know today.

May I help shape a society where every person is accepted,

Not because of what they can contribute,

But simply because they are human.

Grant me the energy to build a community of togetherness,

A place where all are welcome.

Welcome regardless of age or background,

Gender or gender identity,

Skin colour or ethnic origin,

Sexual orientation or family structure,

Physical ability or mental health,

Or whatever differences the world might use to divide us.

Let me work toward a world where everyone is welcomed,

Irrespective of these or any other differences that keep people apart.

May the light of this new day inspire me to live with energy,

To love inclusively and to work for justice every single day.

May my heart and mind be open.

Help me cultivate spaces free from prejudice,

Free from discrimination.

Places where each person can offer their own unique gifts.

Remind me every day to imagine what it's like to walk in the shoes of someone who is suffering because society does not accept them as they are.

Help me feel how it would be to be attacked for being different,

To be mistreated for the colour of my skin,

To be laughed at for what I wear.

Remind me of the quiet courage it takes for two men to walk out of a club holding hands,

Of the bravery it takes for a trans woman to walk into a changing room and simply be herself.

I pray that a day will come soon when our world will celebrate difference,

Not fear it.

As I enter this day,

May my eyes be open to the beauty in our differences,

My ears tuned to voices longing to be heard,

And my heart wide enough,

Not only wide enough to embrace more than one truth,

But open enough to hold more than one opinion at the same time.

May I be brave in standing up for justice,

Gentle in working for understanding,

And untiring in my efforts to bring everyone into my circle of belonging.

And may I always remember,

Diversity is not a burden,

But a gift.

Equality is not an option,

But a necessity.

Inclusion is not charity,

Inclusion is justice.

Reviews

Bless you, Tony, for sharing these wise words here with us 🥰💞🙏☮

May we see others’ and honor our own moments of quiet courage. Lovely <3

Oh. I love this so much. I know I will be listening on repeat. It really touched me. This grounds me in how o want to be in the world every day.

Thank you for this lovely prayer. The world needs these words to continue surviving and existing in love.

Lovely words of wisdom Thank goodness there are people like you in this world Tony . Willing appreciate and respect everyone 🙏

My hopes also. Peace to all. Happiness to all. May we learn to live as the One we are.

This is such a deep prayer for us all to embrace daily. Thank you Tony 🙏🏻

This beautiful prayer spoke deeply to my heart and lifted my spirit. I have downloaded it to my small folder of morning prayers. Of course, it's perfect for any time of day! Thank you so much for this, Tony. 🦋🙏💖

You are one of my absolute favorite teachers. A true blessing 🙏🏽Thank you for demonstrating the love and humanity we need in the world. 🩵🥹

Such beautiful powerful and inclusive words. Phrases to take with me into my daily living and a quiet prayer (not a word I use often but feel comfortable using it for this piece ) to revisit everyday for quite sometime until the words are a part of my cells.

Such beautiful sentiments Tony. I thought we were heading into a time when all of this was coming to fruition, but alas I now fear it’s not going to happen in our lifetime. At least not here in the USA. Until we get this orange monster out of the WH, we’ve been drug backwards into 1930 again.
Still, it’s a beautiful hope & prayer. For now, that’s all we have.
Namaste. 🙏🏽 🥺😭💔🕊🌸🌹🦋🪬🐾🌷❤️‍🩹💔

What a wonderful prayer Tony. Thank you. You have suck a good, kind heart and soul. I wish more people had your heart. 🙏🏻💕

Beautiful prayer and just what I (and the world) needed. Thank you for your guidance ❤️🕉️

The world seems to take one step forward, two steps back when it comes to diversity and inclusion. But we’re getting there. Thanks for the timely topic Tony 🙏🏻

Thanks for a breath of encouragement to deepen my resolve. Blessings to you!

Thank you for this heart-opening prayer Tony. 🙏💝

Thank you Tony for your prayer for this beautiful world amidst the confusion and struggle.

This moved me, touched me, reminded me. I transcribed bits, saved screenshots to share. I live each day with these beliefs. A Buddhist, I am immeasurably grateful for the new pope Leo and this prayer reminds my of how much and why. 🙏

It is so important to speak up and speak truth to power