We will not be diminished in our faith by a culture of “thoughts and prayers.” We are a people praying for the courage and wisdom to act.

a blessing for when violence is done in the name of Jesus

Jesus we are furious.
we are trembling.
we are outraged,
that murderous acts of violence
are committed in Your Name.

Lord God, come and set things right,
starting right here, right now.

God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
the voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
psalm 29:4 KJV

God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
say unto God,
o how wonderful art thou in thy works,
through the greatness of thy power
shall thine enemies be found liars unto thee.
psalm 66:3 (1662 Coverdale)

blessed are we who say, God,
You saw it,
the banner of the holy name of Jesus
exploited and as good as trampled on,
even while it was being held high
over acts of blind fury and deadly violence--
the day that lawmaking stopped
and lawlessness and chaos broke through.

God, you saw the sparks that set all this in motion:
infamy disguised as righteous anger,
lies dressed as truth,
cowardice posing as courage,
cunning disguised as boldness,
sedition resting comfortably
like a parasite within a host
that remains unaware that its very essence
is being drained away.
God, blessed are we who saw it too.
we saw it. and we know this wasn’t You.
for we have lately been to the manger.
we have seen You, our newborn King,
who came in love
“not to conquer other kings by earthly warfare,
but by his own death to subdue them to himself…
not that living he might fight,
but that dying he might triumph.”
(Fulgentius)
but God blessed are we when we say,
You are our mighty king, our refuge, our protector.
show us how to restore order
when chaos seems stronger.
let Your light penetrate the darkness utterly,
that freedom might be restored,
freedom in civil society,
and freedom within each of us
that we might have power
and wisdom and strength
to live by Your Spirit.

blessed are we who say God,
sustain us as we stand in the gap
between our present suffering and our future hope
show us how to preserve the good,
protect the vulnerable, feed the hungry,
and empower the true leaders among us
who desire to serve the common good.

God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.

Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Then Simon Peter drew a sword
and slashed off the right ear of Malchus,
the high priest’s slave. But Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword back into its sheath.
Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering
the Father has given me?”
john 18:10-11

More from Religion

MDZS is laden with buddhist references. As a South Asian person, and history buff, it is so interesting to see how Buddhism, which originated from India, migrated, flourished & changed in the context of China. Here's some research (🙏🏼 @starkjeon for CN insight + citations)

1. LWJ’s sword Bichen ‘is likely an abbreviation for the term 躲避红尘 (duǒ bì hóng chén), which can be translated as such: 躲避: shunning or hiding away from 红尘 (worldly affairs; which is a buddhist teaching.) (
https://t.co/zF65W3roJe) (abbrev. TWX)

2. Sandu (三 毒), Jiang Cheng’s sword, refers to the three poisons (triviṣa) in Buddhism; desire (kāma-taṇhā), delusion (bhava-taṇhā) and hatred (vibhava-taṇhā).

These 3 poisons represent the roots of craving (tanha) and are the cause of Dukkha (suffering, pain) and thus result in rebirth.

Interesting that MXTX used this name for one of the characters who suffers, arguably, the worst of these three emotions.

3. The Qian kun purse “乾坤袋 (qián kūn dài) – can be called “Heaven and Earth” Pouch. In Buddhism, Maitreya (मैत्रेय) owns this to store items. It was believed that there was a mythical space inside the bag that could absorb the world.” (TWX)
Tripundra Dhaaran - Paapa Vimukti

Our generations are fascinated about Tripundram being just a religious symbol. There are in depth meanings of such a Tilak on a Seeker's Forehead


The very first mistake is the way it is applied.

Tripund isn't applied with dry Bhasm, it should be made wet and then applied in a prescribed manner with proper use of fingers and direction of application. Bhasm is collected from various sources


The most important ones mentioned in upanishats are 1. Yagnya Kund Bhasm 2. Bhasm made from Cow's Dung alone. A special agnihotram was perform to save the Bhasma after that for Dhaarana. A major mantra while applying bhasm is Mrutyunjaya Mantra


Dwijas have a very long process of applying the Tripundram along with their Sandhyavandanam. For commoners there are some basic rules people have to follow while applying Bhasm


Bhasm Applied in Morning - Should be mixed with water and applied
Bhasm Applied during Afternoon - Should be mixed with Chandan and Applied
Bhasm Applied during and after Pradosh - Should be applied Dry as such

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