When Community Is Broken

This song is a prayer for communities living through conflict, hurt and mistrust. It names the temptation to seek shallow unity or to blame others, and instead calls us towards truthful confession, humility and God’s deeper work of justice-shaped peace. It works well in services of reconciliation, during church meetings where tensions are acknowledged, or whenever a congregation needs to reflect honestly on its life together and seek restoration.

When community is broken
and division sows heartache
when our egos clash in anguish
with false pride we cannot shake.
Let us seek God’s restoration
to make new what we’ve betrayed
and in sorrow pray for healing
so our discord starts to fade.

We have looked to other places
ascribed blame for what’s amiss
but God calls us here to notice
all the problems we dismiss.
Let’s confess to one another
and acknowledge our own part
recognising what’s not good here
with humility of heart.

May we never forge a false peace
or a unity that’s fake
fabricating shallow image
for our reputation’s sake.
For Christ’s gospel is much richer
shunning all that is not true
weaving unity and justice
till God’s real peace breaks through.

For uniquely God has made us
and our views might disagree
but we’re called to love each other
as God’s holy family.
Help us, God, to be much better –
a community that thrives –
so the world may know we love you
in the way we live our lives.

Back to Music