By Mark Greenspan, Oceanside Jewish Center, Oceanside, NY
God of winds and waves,
Creator of mountains and marshes:
In the presence of nature's force
We are fragile and weak;
And yet in Your presence
We can find the strength to
Help one another and rebuild.
Our thoughts are with
the people of Philippines, today
Whose homes were devastated
By a mighty storm.
We recognize how small,
How pitiful we are
When nature shows its fury;
Yet we know how glorious,
How powerful, we can be
When we live Your attributes
Of hesed and rahamim.
We pray for those
Whose lives were torn asunder,
For those who lost loved ones,
For those who feel hopeless and helpless.
We reach out to them in shared humanity
Sharing our blessings
to help them rebuild their lives.
Inspire us, Adonai, to live
To give, and to care for those in need,
For we know that as long as we are not alone
There is hope.