Holy Spirit, that we call by many names, or no name, but who calls each of us, and all people, “beloved,” we come together today in anguish. We are a temporary congregation, with different beliefs about the nature and existence of God, and how it is that justice and mercy operate in this world, but we are united by our grief that other humans are subjected to the inescapable heat of being incarcerated in Texas in the summer. We are united in knowing that this is cruel and unusual punishment, inhumane, and a stain on all of us. We are united in our resolve to not let anyone be ignorant of this knowledge, to work for this to be changed immediately, before one more person suffers.

We are united in our witness. We do not turn away from these hard truths. We lift up all those who have lost their lives in the heat of the Texas prison system, people like Elizabeth Hagerty, John Castillo, Patrick Womack, and so many others known and unknown. We lift up the 130,000 souls incarcerated in Texas suffering in such harsh conditions, as well as the staff members who also work under these conditions. We hold all of the family members and friends in our hearts as they, too, suffer, feeling helpless, their hearts hurting knowing what their loved ones are experiencing.

May the hearts of those who have the power to make change happen be softened. Legislators, experts, staff, may they be convicted with a sense of mercy and compassion to do what is right and get relief, life-giving cool air, into the prisons. May the citizens who simply don’t know what is happening encounter knowledge, the facts, and may their consciences, their feelings about how we treat our fellow human beings, be pricked so that they take action to right this wrong. May the witnesses and activists who have been so hard at work be given renewed energy, effective strategies, and support from their larger communities as they continue being prophets for righteousness and justice.

May we who are here today be given only as much peace as needed so that we can rest in order to continue this work, but not enough that we become complacent, not enough that we give in to the feelings of helplessness. May we find renewal of spirit, clarity in our words so that we can transform the thoughts of those who have not yet come to this cause. May the prophetic voices of those here tonight and those who speak in front of legislators, on social media, and to the press be strengthened, and may our statements find their way into the hearts of all citizens.

We grieve tonight, but we resume our work tomorrow. We hold vigil for those who have lost their lives, those who have suffered, those whose innate human dignity has not been honored as the heat draws down upon them. Their lives are valuable. For those who suffer tonight, may they know relief, may they be given mercy, may cool breezes humanmade or of nature be visited upon them. May they survive.

For those for whom we could not save, we lift up their memory. Please join me in a time of silence, as we hold vigil for those killed by the heat and the injustice of a system that could save them, but didn’t.

Amen and Blessed Be.