FACES

God let me see YOU in the face of every person I encounter,
without exception, friend or stranger,
and let me treat every stranger as a friend,
worthy of the greatest respect and indeed, love.

Let me look into the eyes of those I meet
and see through masks of anxiety, anger, age, deformity,
formality, shyness, disappointment, deception,
despair and frustration.
Help me to see the true individual person,
the immortal soul, and the bright potential,
loving spirit behind each face,
including that of the most ragged filthy begger.

Let me never forget that the spark of Your Divinity
ignites every human soul, and animates every person's face
without exception.

Let me give undistracted attention, and a sense of worth, to each person I meet any day in any circumstance,
and never deprive anyone, anywhere, at any time,
of his or her deserved dignity as a child of God.