Prayers of the People, P+14C

O Lord God,
where are you? 
Students and staff at Evergreen High School,
like too many students and staffs before them,
call out to you, "Where are you, O God?"
Those who have come looking for the promise
of a new life
call out to you, "Where are you, O God?"
Climate scientists and all of creation 
calls out to you, "Where are you, O God?"
Consumers and economists 
cry out to you, "Where are you, O God?"
The people of Gaza who are starving
and whose homes are destroyed
and whose state is at risk
cry out to you, "Where are you, O God?"
Families of victims of rampant gun violence
call out to you, "Where are you, O God?"
Those who are mentally, physically, spiritually,
and emotionally exhausted by the endless
hateful rhetoric, and anxious about the chaos
that defies all norms of civil and moral precedent
cry out to you, "Where are you, O God?"
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayers! 
The reckless abandon by which we are led
threatens the very fabric of our communities,
from the relationships formed in families
to the friendships formed in neighborhoods
to the student bodies in our schools
to the networks of our governments.
Be present with us, O God,
around the world,
and move among us 
by the power of your Spirit,
bringing comfort to the grieving,
and hope to the hopeless,
and rest for the weary,
and justice where there is injustice,
and peace in a world at war with itself.
Help us lay down our weapons
and hold out a hand 
that we might be agents of love
in Jesus' name.