God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. ~Reinhold Neibuhr
Our theologian for the week will be Reinhold Neibuhr. Neibuhr was an American theological and a long-time professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He was considered one of the country’s leading intellectuals and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. He wrote frequently about the intersection of faith, public policy, and politics.
This quote often called the “Serenity Prayer” is often attributed to Neibuhr. It is commonly used in 12 step programs as part of meetings because it is such a good reminder of a couple of things. First, God is in control of this world. The prayer begins by calling to God and acknowledging in the very first line that we are powerless in comparison to God’s power in this world. Second, our role in this world is how we react and respond to this world and to God.
There is so much in this world that we cannot control whether we like it or not. Many of us, myself included, wake up in the morning and think of all the things that human me can get done in the day. I have plans of the way my day is going to go and how all will unfold. This prayer serves as a great reminder that we are not in ultimate control and there are some things, no matter how hard I want, pray, or hope, that will never go in the direction that I want. And yet using our faith and wisdom we find the places where we can make a difference. Rather than praying for a certain outcome we are called to focus on the serenity to embrace our powerlessness and also respond with courage when we can take action particularly when it comes to self-care and relationships.
Prayer
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” Amen.