On February 28, Rev. Dr. Kelle Brown was invited by Representative Jamila Taylor to pray before the State Legislature in Olympia. Dr. Brown infused the heart of the Poor People's Campaign into her prayer:
O Source of Life,
From the shores of the great ocean to the peaks of snowy mountains, through the fields of bounty to where deserts and rivers meet, we honor the stewards of this land and the labor of those from whom we benefit.
This day, make us instruments of transformation.
Where there is brokenness, may we create unity;
Where there is injustice, equity, inclusion and belonging;
Where there is poverty, may we tap into our great abundance;
Make us instruments of inspiration, champions of compassion and grace.
Where there is suffering, may there be healing laced with hope.
May we stand with the marginalized,
And speak, and sing, and create possibilities that work fiercely against oppression,
May this state be one where all are valued and heard,
And treated with dignity and respect.
May we be known as the place where everybody has a right to live,
Where we acknowledge that we are a new unsettling force for positive change,
Where we awaken the sleeping giant without fear,
And know that justice is what love looks like in public.
May we rise with shared voice and power, forward together, not one step back,
So that joy and hope are palpable and within our reach.
O Source of Life, make us instruments of transformation.
May it be so.
Blessed be.
Click here to listen to an interview with Dr. Brown on the history and mission of The Poor People's Campaign.