Posted by
Newspapers, magazines, and television reports deliver the story of another suicide: a famous filmmaker leaps to his death off a bridge, a college student exposed by classmates as being gay takes his own life, a young girl mercilessly bullied by her peers hangs herself at home. Soldiers and Native Americans are two groups with high suicide rates.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36,909 individuals in the United States committed suicide in 2009. This figure makes it the tenth leading cause of death. Sadly, the rate of suicide has been increasing since 2000; this is the highest rate in 15 years.
And so we pray this news . . .
God of Life,
our hearts go out
to all those whose
suffering and loss
is so deep and unrelenting
that they want to end it all.
Every 14.2 minutes
someone dies by suicide
in the U.S.
God of Life,
help us to understand
and to empathize with
the isolation, the fear,
and the loneliness of
all those who are bullied
by others and made to feel
they are worthless.
Every 14.2 minutes
someone dies by suicide
in the U.S.
God of Life,
help us to understand
and to empathize with
the terrible toll that
pressure and demands
from parents, teachers,
and peers can have
upon sensitive souls
who are unappreciated
and, in many cases,
are treated like dirt.
Every 14.2 minutes
someone dies by suicide
in the U.S.
God of Life,
help us to understand
and to empathize with
those who have plunged
into the abyss of depression
and despair for any number
of reasons or for no reason.
Forgive us for not paying
attention and trying to ease
their pain and fear.
Every 14.2 minutes
someone dies by suicide
in the U.S.
God of Life,
help us to be present to
and to take note of the
distress signals of suicidal
relatives, friends, or community
members. If problems persist,
may we call for help from
suicide prevention centers,
crisis hot-lines, and therapists.
Every 14.2 minutes
someone dies by suicide
in the U.S.
God of Life,
we are all in this life together
and as fellow travelers
we know there is more that
we can do to eradicate
fear and denial of suicide and
to make a place in our prayers
for all those who give up on life
and choose self-destruction.
Every 14.2 minutes
someone dies by suicide
in the U.S.
God of Life,
suicide has touched the lives
of many of us and we are
called to bring to both
the victims and their survivors
our large reserves of
love and compassion.
Every 14.2 minutes
someone dies by suicide
in the U.S.
Amen.
Next Post: A Prayer for Victims and Families of Earthquakes in Iran