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.
