To Your Country

Holy One,

See your children crowded in the cities of the earth
and hear what they say in prayer
to you

Take us to your country
out of the city
every city we know
is not like your land

We have tried
we have built these cities
we have made them big
now they are too big
and we have no room in them
for you
for us
we cannot breathe
we cannot eat
we cannot sing
without stealing the space
the food
the song
from one another

We have no space
we have no place here
but we keep looking here
for ourselves

We are not ourselves
in a place where we can only make ourselves
we can never be begotten
like your Son
we can never be born from above
if we are trying to birth ourselves
by ourselves

We are longing for a better world
help us long for your world
a country
not a city
no more cities
let us look for the greater place
that cannot be discovered
that can only be revealed
that cannot be built
that can only be given
that cannot be founded
that can only be found

Lead us to your country
and lead us
to tell our brothers
and sisters
and others
to break their babble
and tell them
it's time to travel

Lead us to your country, Lord
and we will be your people. Amen.