Walk with us in our search

A prayer reading about partnership

Help us discover our own riches; don’t judge us poor because we lack what you have.

Help us discover our chains; don’t judge us slaves by the type of shackles you wear.

Be patient with us as a people; don’t judge us backward simply because we don’t follow your stride.

Be patient with our pace; don’t judge us lazy simply because we can’t follow your tempo.

Be patient with our symbols; don’t judge us ignorant because we can’t read your signs.

Be with us and proclaim the richness of our life which you can share with us.

Be with us and be open to what we can give.

Be with us as a companion who walks with us – neither behind nor in front – in our search for life and ultimately for God!

These words not only point toward a contemporary missionary spirituality, but also offer a base for true ecumenism in Latin America. Because, whether we are Lutherans or Roman Catholics, we first of all must listen to the people to whom we come; it is they who will show us the way to Christian unity.

Reprinted from Gracias! By Henri J. M. Nouwen. Published by Harper & Row, Publishers, New York, NY 10022.