We are the children of God, who made us free to live in joyful relationship with Him and with one another. God's grace empowers us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We ask for the courage to love ourselves as much as He loves us and to love others with the same compassion.

In this time of division and unrest, and this time of reluctance, we are reluctant to set aside our anger and hurt. We are reluctant or refuse to put our guards down for fear of disappointment. Let us learn instead to love more like Christ and to act more like Christ in all the things we do. And may we shed old divisions and embrace the unity that God intends for all people.