Red Indian Prayer for the Earth
1.
*Give us hearts to understand;*
Never to take
from creation's beauty more than we give;
Never to
destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed;
Never to deny
to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty;
Never to take
from her what we cannot use.
2.
*Give us hearts to understand*
That to destroy
earth's music is to create confusion;
that to wreck
her appearance is to blind us to beauty;
That to
callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench;
that as we care
for her she will care for us.
We have
forgotten who we are.
3.
*We have sought only our own security.*
We have
exploited simply for our own ends.
We have
distorted our knowledge.
We have abused
our power.
Great Spirit,
whose dry lands thirst,
Help us to find
the way to refresh your lands.
4.
*Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and
pollution,*
help us to find
the way to cleanse your waters.
Great Spirit,
whose beautiful earth grows ugly with misuse,
help us to find
the way to restore beauty to your handiwork.
Great Spirit,
whose creatures are being destroyed,
help us to find
a way to replenish them.
5.
*Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in
selfishness and corruption,*
help us to find
the way to restore our humanity.
Oh, Great
Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
whose breath
gives life to the world, hear me;
I need your
strength and wisdom.
May I walk in
Beauty.