Lord, They run us off the road, they bump into us with their shopping trolleys. They knock over our post boxes, write graffiti on our walls and throw rubbish in our gardens. They act with callousness and disdain. They laugh at us, they swear at us, they criticize us.

Lord, we pray for those who are hard to love. Help them to refocus, and to be aware of others feelings. Help us to be tolerant and forgiving, to react not in pain or anger, but in compassion and love.

Jesus said, "Love One Another".
But we hurt too much to love.

We cling to the past, and hide behind our pain. We are frightened to let go of old wounds, preferring the superficial power of hate and blame to the deeper, fuller power of forgiveness.

Lord, knowing that we can only be truly at peace by following Jesus example of forgiveness, we pray that we might outgrow the hurts of the past, and enter a future dominated by our unconditional love for others. Help us to realize that the first step to recovery is to forgive, and the only antidote to hate, is to love.

Jesus said, "Love One Another".
But No-one loves me.

In a busy city, we feel alone. No loving touch, no friendly smile. Loners. The Ostracized. The outcasts. The different. Some turn to drink, others to drugs. Children living on the streets, the elderly sitting alone. No one to turn to, no one to confide in, no one to share with.

Lord, help us to see that we are not alone - that your unlimited and unconditional love is there for us, always. Enter the hearts of all those who feel alone and unloved, and fill them with your love. Help us to touch to lives of all those around us with your presence.

Jesus said, "Love One Another".
But how can we love terrorists?

Jesus very clearly told us to "love our enemies". But it’s a hard call. When we watch a screaming mother striking her head in despair against the coffin of her son, or the limp body of a five-year-old child being carried from the carnage of a terrorist bombing, bloodied, bleeding and unconscious, we don’t feel love for the terrorist.

Lord, we pray for terrorists. Breathe into their souls the spirit of reconciliation. Open their eyes to the futility and the brutality of terrorism. Break their obsession with violence, and soften their hardened hearts. Help us to see past their myopic cruelty to see the people within, to respond to their violence not with more violence, but with love.

Jesus said, "Love One Another".
But we don’t even love ourselves.

Constantly striving to be better people, we are afraid to be ourselves. We punish ourselves, and despise ourselves for our faults and weaknesses, and cannot accept our own limitations.

Lord, help us to remember that you made us all with individual care and consideration. Remind us that we were not formed haphazardly, or without cause, but rather as precision made tools for the fulfillment of your will. Let us celebrate our differences, Lord, and give thanks for our uniqueness.

Lord, we pray that by learning to love and accept ourselves, we will be able to love and accept others.

Jesus said, "Love One Another".
But some people are better at this than we.

They spend much of their lives, caring for others. They might be qualified professionals - Nurses, Doctors, Ministers - or they might be ordinary people just doing their best. They care for us, and those around us. They care for the aged, for the young, for those in economic need, for those in physical need, for those in spiritual need. Sometimes we notice them, sometimes we even remember to thank them, other times we don’t even know that they are there. But they are.

Lord, we pray for carers of all types, of all ages. As they selflessly work for the benefit of others, we pray that you will be their carer, Sustain them, guide them, and carry them, as they give their time, money and life for the benefit of others. We pray that we might have the strength and love to lighten their load.

Jesus said, "Love One Another".
But we think politeness is enough.

We politely smile, or say hello. We exchange pleasantries and discuss the weather. We tolerate each other, sometimes even shaking hands or exchanging kisses on the cheek. We pass the peace, but not the love.

Lord, we are guilty of reserving love for our family and closest friends, but keeping the rest of the world safely distant.

We pray that we can break down the barriers, and begin to love one another - enemy, friend or acquaintance. As we leave today, lift the veil that covers our eyes and our hearts - that we might see all as your children. May the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with love, and our eyes with tears of joy. May we enfold all we meet today with your love, and may each meeting be as a meeting of oldest and dearest friends.

Amen