Wise and loving God,
you have created, and are still creating,
a world rich with difference and diversity.
You have created all people in your image,
each expressing their being and living their life
in valid, special relationship with you.
For all this, we give you praise.
For historical acts of injustice and oppression
perpetuated against Aboriginal communities,
Black, and various Asian communities
in this abundant land of the First Nations:
Forgive us, merciful God.
For the times we have failed to recognize racism
in ourselves, in our church, in our society,
and the times we have failed to take action,
Forgive us, long-suffering God.
For complicity in systems of privilege and power
over those whose skin colour, culture, or creed
differ from those of the majority, even today:
Forgive us, compassionate God.
Grant us courage never to let a racist joke pass in our hearing,
commitment to insist on equal treatment of all pers2004ons and groups—
including ourselves if oppressed—
even at the risk of being unpopular or misunderstood:
We beseech you, God of justice.
Grant us patience in enduring periods of non-action,
persistence in resisting the evil of radical oppression,
and faithfulness in working toward racial justice
among your people, in the church, and in the world:
We beseech you, God of hope.
And grant us humility and wisdom to discern
when it is that your Spirit must come to accomplish
that which human beings and groups cannot.
We pray in the name of Jesus, himself
the bread of justice and the cup of solidarity. Amen.
—a litany suitable for the InternationalDay for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by Wehn-In Ng, from That All May Be One: A Resource for Educating toward Racial Justice (The United Church of Canada, 2004)