Detail from a stained glass window featuring Howard Thurman at Howard University's Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel.

Prayer in Honor of Black History Month

In chapel services on Thursday, Dcn. Loeffler shared a prayer by Howard Thurman. Click on "Read More" for the full transcript. #HowardThurman #CasciacelebratesBlackHistory  Watch Video
Open unto me, light for my darkness
Open unto me, courage for my fear
Open unto me, hope for my despair
Open unto me, peace for my turmoil
Open unto me, joy for my sorrow
Open unto me, strength for my weakness
Open unto me, wisdom for my confusion
Open unto me, forgiveness for my sins
Open unto me, tenderness for my toughness
Open unto me, love for my hates
Open unto me, Thy Self for myself
Lord, Lord, open unto me!

- Howard Thurman, from "Meditations of the Heart"

Thurman was born in 1899 and raised in the segregated South. He is recognized as one of the great spiritual leaders of the 20th century, renowned for his reflections on humanity and our relationship with God. Thurman was a prolific author, writing at least 20 books; perhaps the most famous is Jesus and the Disinherited (1949), which deeply influenced Martin Luther King, Jr., and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Thurman was the first black person to be a tenured dean at a predominantly white institution (Boston Univ.). He also co-founded the first interracially pastored, intercultural church in the U.S.
Back