Isaiah 43:1-3a

But now thus says the Lord,
    he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Sarah Bessey is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed books Miracles and Other Reasonable Things, Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith, and Jesus Feminist.

She is also the co-creator of Evolving Faith with the late Rachel Held Evans and now serves as the co-leader for the community alongside Jeff Chu and their partner, Jim Chaffee.

Sarah is a sought-after speaker at churches, conferences, and universities all around the world. She also serves as President of the Board for Heartline Ministries in Haiti, which is committed to empowering Haitian families through complete maternal and infant health care, education, vocational training, and economic development.

A PRAYER TO LEARN TO LOVE THE WORLD AGAIN

God of herons and heartbreak,

teach us to love the world again.
Teach us to love extravagantly
knowing it may
(it will) break our hearts
and teach us that it is worth it. 

God of pandemics and suffering ones,
teach us to love the world again. 

God of loneliness and longing,
of bushfires and wilderness,
of soup kitchens and border towns,
of snowfall and children,
teach us to love the world again. 

Amen.