I love blessings: prayers asking for God’s favor and protection.

From the ones we find in Scripture, to the long tradition of blessings that have been passed on from generation to generation through rich heritage, I’ve been greatly impacted by having others pray them over me. I also enjoy praying blessings over others, and there are some blessings that I kiddingly call “safe blessings,” and some that I call, “dangerous blessings” – not that they do harm, but they embrace what we would normally consider desolation for the purpose of the greatest consolation of experiencing the Love of Christ more deeply.

This is one of my favorites, that I categorize as a “dangerous blessing.” While I’m not sure of its origination, it is credited to the Franciscan tradition. It goes:

May God bless you with discomfort,
At easy answers, half-truths,
And superficial relationships
So that you may live
Deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression,
And exploitation of people,
So that you may work for
Justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears,
To shed for those who suffer pain,
Rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand
To comfort them and
To turn their pain to joy

And may God bless you
With enough foolishness
To believe that you can
Make a difference in the world,
So that you can do
What others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness
To all our children and the poor.
Amen