God of wisdom and power,
who fashioned each grain of sand on Bondi Beach,
fine and beautiful beneath our feet,
who spoke land into being and patiently watched
as craggy sandstone cliffs took shape,
weathered witnesses to time and tide,
whose creative mind gifted us with curling breakers
and sparkling emerald waters alive with current and light,
and smooth green lawns and cool sea breezes and shady trees,
generous spaces of rest and laughter:
In these gifts we glimpse your artistry, your patience, your joy.
Teach us, as custodians and stewards of this ancient land,
to receive this ordinary beauty with deep gratitude,
to guard it with care, and to walk gently upon it.
God of mercy and grace,
we come before you today with shaken hearts and heavy souls,
reeling from the terror and trauma of the recent violence at Bondi Beach.
What should have been a place of beauty and joy and peace
has become a place of deep sorrow and fear.
We cry to you, O God, because we do not know where else to turn.
Draw near to those who have been harmed,
their families and loved ones, and all who are distressed by this senseless act.
Hold them in their grief, surround them with compassion,
and grant them strength for the long road ahead.
We pray for those who are injured in body and in mind:
for healing, for skilled care, and for patience and hope
as wounds, both seen and unseen, begin to mend.
We give thanks for the courage and compassion
of first responders, NSW Police and emergency services.
God of justice and love,
we ask for swift and righteous accountability for those who do evil,
that truth may be known and justice done,
and that our hearts will not be hardened, increasing the moral darkness.
As a community, help us to light the candle
of fraternity, justice, goodness;
to be instruments of comfort, healing and mercy,
especially to those who seem different.
As a community, help us to demonstrate the best of humanity
after seeing the worst:
Peace over violence, love over hate, solidarity over separation.
Give us grace to show visible signs of hope, love, and peace
in our streets, our homes, and our words.
God of peace and hope,
Amid tragedy, we recognise our common humanity
and celebrate the image of God in one another.
We recall that the Jewish festival of Chanukah
and the Christian celebration of Christmas
together remind us that light shines only when love and justice prevail.
We long to come together with genuine love and care.
Help us to stand together in solidarity and remain steadfast
in rejecting violence, resisting fear and division, and working for peace.
Grant us the grace to work as a community, here in Sydney,
and wherever peace is fragile and hope seems far off,
to foster empathy, social cohesion, safety and wellbeing for all.
And we pray that, through your grace and mercy, such deadly violence
never comes again to our shores.
Heal us, Lord, and lead us forward together by your grace,
in the sure knowledge that your light is stronger than the darkest night.
We pray this in the strong name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
the Light of the World. Amen.
Written by Rev Dr Rod Benson, General Secretary, NSW Ecumenical Council. Permission is granted to freely share the prayer in full with attribution.
Image source: Bondi Beach shoreline, photograph by the author, 17 December 2025.
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