A prayer for George Floyd: ‘We take this pledge’

A memorial for George Floyd in Minneapolis. Image by Getty

By Rabbi Naomi Levy June 5, 2020

Innocent blood is calling out, God,
Echoing through the universe.
We must ask ourselves
What have we done?
What have we ignored, allowed, denied,
Excused?
But today we shed our excuses
In a time of soul-searching.
We take this pledge
For our black brothers and sisters
and for You, God:
“I am my brother’s keeper”
And I will change!
Change my heart
Change the laws
And change the unwritten law
That says the way it’s always been
Is the way it will always be.
I will do my part to uproot hatred, prejudice and racism.
I will speak out against police brutality
And a system of justice that is unjust.
I will vote out leaders who do not lead.
And together we will unite as one in a time of repair
We will build
And we will rise
Black and white
All races and faiths
To a new way, a new day.
As the marches fade our work begins.
Bless us, God, work through us.
Teach us to lead with love.
Help us to turn our helplessness into actions that will heal our nation.
Shield us from indifference and despair and our tendency to forget.
Fill us with strength and hope and the perseverance to make lasting change.
In memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery
And the countless souls whose blood cries out from the ground
In their memory and in their honor
We take this pledge:
“I am my brother’s keeper.”
Amen.

Rabbi Naomi Levy is the founder and spiritual leader of Nashuva and the author of Einstein and the Rabbi.

Rabbi Naomi Levy is the founder and spiritual leader of Nashuva. She is the author most recently of Einstein and the Rabbi: Searching for the Soul.

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