O God! During this time of disinformation, distortions and lies, we pray that You show us the truth as truth and bless us to follow it, and that You show us falsehood as falsehood and bless us to shun it.

O Merciful Lord! We pray that you bless us to resist the siren call of tribalism and to understand that we cannot continue our quest to become a more perfect union unless we continue to exist as one nation under God.

O Precious Benefactor! We pray that during these times when so many are beginning to speak of novel things that many of us scarcely understand, such as transhumanism, that you bless us to never transcend our humanity.

O Originator of Heavens and Earth! We pray that the irrepressible demand for justice, burning in the hearts of so many, is never divorced from a passionate commitment to fairness.

O Reliever of the Distressed! As we witness desperate scenes of death and destruction conveyed to us from far off places, may You bless us to never forget the love, compassion and acts of kindness rained down upon us by those closest to us: our families, friends, neighbors and so many of the strangers we meet as we go about our daily business.

O Great Healer! We ask that you heal those suffering from bodily ailments as well as those afflicted with diseased hearts and souls. Please lift from us the scourge of Covid-19 and if you choose to continue to test us with this novel disease, grant us the patience to deal with the worst of its ravages.

O God! As we grapple with the daunting challenges of a rapidly changing world, may You bless us to hold on to the healthy traditions, values and wisdom that have sustained and enriched us as a human family during our journey through time.

Allow me to conclude this prayer with a bit of that wisdom: “By the testimony of time, surely humanity is lost, except those who believe and do righteous deeds; who counsel each other with truth; who counsel each other with patience (Qur’an, 103).”

May God bless you. May God bless America, and may He bless the global village wherein she resides.