It was truly a gift to be able to listen to the President of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign in person at Central Union Church in Honolulu this Sunday March 1, 2026. The spontaneous applause from a very attentive congregation spoke to how his impassioned witness to Gospel teaching was exactly what we need in these vexing times when too often faith is bent shamelessly to political purpose.
In the shadow of yet another unwarranted war, this time against Iran, Bishop William J. Barber II and his wife, Rev. Dr. Della Owens-Barber could not have been more clear: faith and the challenges of our time are calls, not to hate, but to love as Jesus loved. Rev Barber described how contagious that can be. A moral march–Love Forward Together that started on February 11 in Wilson, North Carolina with just 275 people had attracted thousands by the time they reached Raleigh on Feb 14.
“In Need of a Return to Love and Life,” the title of their joint sermon, spoke of what everyone yearns for at a time when lies backed by power tries to throttle truth spoken by the powerless.
A time when those who should know better are abusing their power to sow chaos and confusion, demonizing the vulnerable and setting immigrants up as scapegoats for failures in leadership. Worse, they do it in the name of the Prince of Peace who came into the world to transform it and save us all– with love.
As Rev. Barber said, this is no time for the church to go into hiding. Churches –clergy and people in the pews–must speak out and bear unwavering witness to the truth to counter the avalanche of lies. It was hard not to listen to the sermon without hoping that the very same message might ring out from every pulpit across the country. If it did, it would help realize the hope expressed in the last line of the service booklet today:
“Our WORSHIP is ended…our SERVICE now begins.“
The Senior Minister at Central Union Church, Rev. A. Rushan Sinnaduray, captured both the longing and the responsibility of people of faith with this beautifully eloquent pastoral prayer:
Holy One
In this Lenten season of turning and returning,
we come before You with hearts that are tender,
tired, and hungry for Your way
Like the centurion who stood at the foot of the cross
and finally saw what the world had refused to see,
we, too, stand before Your suffering love
and confess our deep need
for a return to love and life.
Turn us again, O God.
Turn us from the paths that lead us away from You
toward the practices that draw us near
Turn us from the habits that hollow our compassion
toward the disciplines that deepen our mercy.
Turn us from the despair that dims our hope
toward the courage that trusts resurrection.
In this season of repentance,
we name the wounds of our world without turning away.
We lament the U.S. bombing of Iran this weekend
the lives lost, the terror unleashed,
the widening spiral of violence that steals breath
from families who long only for safety and peace.
Forgive us for the ways our nation’s actions
inflict suffering on Your beloved children.
Forgive us for every silence that protects power
and every fear that keeps us from seeking peace.
Hold close all who grieve today—
in Iran, in the U.S., and in every place where war wounds Your world.
Where we have grown numb, awaken us.
Where we have been complicit, humble us.
Where we feel powerless, remind us
that love is never powerless.
For those who feel far from themselves,
far from community,
far from hope—
gather them in.
Let Your love be the first language they hear again.
Let Your life be the breath that steadies them.
And for this community, O God,
teach us to walk the Lenten road with honesty and courage.
Teach us to be witnesses like the centurion—
people who recognize Your presence
even in the hardest places
and dare to speak the truth of what we see:
that Love is still here,
that Life is still possible,
that You are still God.
Return us to ourselves.
Return us to one another.
Return us to the path of justice, compassion, and peace.
Return us to You—
the Source of Love,
the Giver of Life,
the One who never stops calling us home.
Amen.
With thanks to Pastor Sinnaduray for permission to publish his prayer.
Dawn Morais 
Very good post.I supported it on Linked – In. & wrote a comment Will share the post with others.Let’s not allow our spirits to be crushed but rather join with others in pushing back against the endless & unwarranted war- mongering against innocent parties that results in devastation of the land, its buildings, infrastructure & facilities & untold suffering for the people.Love & prayers for peace & justice for all,Su