Plowshare Song & Blessing
“Mary Mother of Mercy” by Janet McKenzie. janetmackenzie.com
I heard a new (to me) song that I want to share with you. It’s called Plowshare Prayer. The singer-songwriter is Spencer LaJoye, who is also new to me. I love listening to them (preferred pronoun, from what I can tell) sing the melody, but I especially love the words.
I have always loved the verse in Isaiah where it says, “They will beat their swords into plowshares.” To be honest, I don’t even know exactly what “plowshares” means. I’ve always assumed it has something to do with plowing and farming instead of using swords and making war—taking a dangerous tool meant for war and turning it into a tool of peace, for turning the soil and planting. I love that idea. In the New Creation, we’ll turn factories for making guns into breadmaking industries, we’ll fill armaments with toys for children to play with, prisoners will turn into first responders. The possibilities are endless. (I looked up “plowshares.”)
In the song, Spencer LaJoye uses the phrase “I pray.” To me, the words of the song seem like a blessing. I’ve changed the words a bit to turn it into a blessing. This is why I want to share it with you. I want to send out this blessing to each of you. May this blessing be “a plowshare of sorts” to you.
I hope you will take a few minutes to read all the lines, maybe even say them aloud to yourself. I think you will find words that specifically bless you. Maybe you are a mother, father, brother, sibling, other. Maybe you’re at the end of your rope, angry, forsaken. Maybe you hear mean voices in your head, maybe you have grief, maybe you have peace. Whoever you are, whatever is happening, may this blessing be a plowshare of sorts to you.
Plowshare Blessing. (my modified words)
Dear blessed creator, dear mother, dear savior,
Dear father, dear brother, dear holy other,
Dear sibling, dear baby, dear patiently waiting,
Dear sad & confused, dear stuck & abused,
Dear end of your rope, dear worn out & broke,
Dear go it alone, dear running from home,
Dear righteously angry, forsaken by family,
Dear jaded & quiet, dear tough & defiant,
May you be heard.
May this work.
If words have been used as a sword
Against you & your heart,
Against you & your word,
May this blessing be a plowshare of sorts.
May it break you open.
May it help you grow.
May your body get all that it needs.
And if you don't want healing,
May you have peace.
May your burden get lighter each day.
May the mean voice in your head go away.
May you honor the grief as it comes.
May you feel all the life in your lungs.
If you go all day being brave,
May you go home, go to bed
Feeling safe.
May you know you’re forgiven. May you forgive.
May you set boundaries & openly live.
May you feel you are worth never leaving.
May you know I will always believe you.
May you know you're heard.
And may this work.
A blessing on behalf of the last & the least,
On behalf of the anxious, depressed & unseen.
A blessing upon the workers, the hungry, the houseless.
A blessing upon the lonely & recently spouseless.
A blessing upon the queers & their closeted peers.
A blessing upon the bullied who hold in their tears.
A blessing upon the mothers of little Black sons.
A blessing upon the kids who grow up scared of guns.
A blessing upon the addicts, ashamed & hungover.
A blessing upon the calloused, the wisened, the sober.
A blessing upon ones who want life to be over.
A blessing upon the leaders who lose their composure.
And a blessing upon the parents who just lost their baby.
A blessing upon the chronically ill & disabled.
A blessing upon the children down at the border.
A blessing upon the victims of our law & order.
May you be heard.
May this work.
If words have been used as a sword
Against you & your heart,
Against you & your word,
May this blessing be a plowshare of sorts.
Plowshare Prayer. Original words.
Dear blessed creator, dear mother, dear savior
Dear father, dear brother, dear holy other
Dear sibling, dear baby, dear patiently waiting
Dear sad & confused, dear stuck & abused
Dear end of your rope, dear worn out & broke
Dear go it alone, dear running from home
Dear righteously angry, forsaken by family
Dear jaded & quiet, dear tough & defiant
I pray that I'm heard
And I pray that this works
I pray if a prayer has been used as a sword
Against you & your heart
Against you & your word
I pray that this prayer is a plowshare of sorts
That it might break you open
It might help you grow
I pray that your body gets all that it needs
And if you don't want healing
I just pray for peace
I pray that your burden gets lighter each day
I pray the mean voice in your head goes away
I pray that you honor the grief as it comes
I pray you can feel all the life in your lungs
I pray that if you go all day being brave
That you can go home, go to bed
Feeling safe
I pray you're forgiven. I pray you forgive
I pray you set boundaries & openly live
I pray that you feel you are worth never leaving
I pray that you know I will always believe you
I pray that you're heard
And I pray that this works
Amen on behalf of the last & the least
On behalf of the anxious, depressed & unseen
Amen for the workers, the hungry, the houseless
Amen for the lonely & recently spouseless
Amen for the queers & their closeted peers
Amen for the bullied who hold in their tears
Amen for the mothers of little Black sons
Amen for the kids who grow up scared of guns
Amen for the addicts, ashamed & hungover
Amen for the calloused, the wisened, the sober
Amen for ones who want life to be over
Amen for the leaders who lose their composure
And amen for the parents who just lost their baby
Amen for chronically ill & disabled
Amen for the children down at the border
Amen for the victims of our law & order
I pray that you're heard
And I pray that this works
I pray if a prayer has been used as a sword
Against you & your heart
Against you & your word
I pray that this prayer is a plowshare of sorts
God loves you.