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Prayer of the week

by
04 October 2013

Angela Ashwin prays to be freed from self-love, to share

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O God, our Creator,
who gave us all that we are and have:
release us from self-love,
to be able to share
what we are,
what we know,
what we have,
with one another
and in the world which you love.
In the name of Christ, who makes this a possibility.

Christian Conference of Asia

THIS prayer challenges us to acknowledge our human interconnectedness and mutual dependence, and was first used at the ecumenical eighth Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia in Seoul in 1985.

The first two lines remind us that everything we regard as our own is ultimately a gift from God, to be used for the good of others as well as ourselves. Then, "release us from self-love" is a powerful phrase, and sometimes we do need to be jolted out of an inward-looking mindset, whether personally or in the Church, so that we will listen more attentively to others, and share our resources more readily.

There are, of course, dangers in seeing ourselves as Lord and Lady Bountiful. Sharing involves both giving and receiving, whether at a material level or in the context of friendship, hospitality, and the richness of different cultures. To be released from self-love is not just about giving more (although that may be exactly right): it is also a matter of recognising the gifts that others can offer us, and being freed from the assumption that we are superior.

It is clear from the Gospels that following Jesus means being radically generous, in terms of both possessions and attitudes. Fortunately, we are not required to give and serve in our own strengthalone. As this prayer reminds us,we need to ask for the grace toshare everything "in the name of Christ who makes this a possibility".

There is also the tricky question of balancing our own needs with our vocation to serve others. Conscientious people can easily become burnt out, and it is not selfish to pay attention to our own basic concerns, such as decent food, a comfortable home, our children's education, and the need for enough space and time in which to rest and be renewed in body, mind, and spirit.

Paradoxically, we have to establish boundaries in order to be able to give and share in the best way, joyfully and whole-heartedly.

This prayer, written by our brothers and sisters in Asia, is not about grim duty or tedious obligation, but about love, in a world which God loved first, as the closing lines remind us. We do not know the names of those who composed this prayer, but we are connected with them as fellow-members of the Body of Christ whenever we use their words.

Part of the sharing about which this prayer speaks is our work of intercession. God's love is always pouring out towards the world, and we are called to hold individuals and situations in that love, offering ourselves as channels of divine blessing.

We are not trying to persuade God to act, or giving God information or instructions, but seeking to be more Christlike. Both intercessory prayer and practical action are part of our single response to Jesus's call to follow him on the way of self-giving love.

Angela Ashwin lives in Southwell. Her books include Faith in the Fool: Risk and delight in the Christian adventure (DLT, 2009) 

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