Prayer after the Philadelphia derailment

God, I hunt for this psalm —

Some went up to the city on trains
doing business
and visiting family on rails,
then they swept round the curve
and reeled in disaster.
Your children cried in trouble
and their courage melted in calamity …

and you who walk on waves,
leaned, like a conductor of love,
into the twisted metal.

And so we pray —
comfort those who grieve,
guide the healing hands
of those who care for the injured,
give honor to rescuers,
professional and samaritan,

and for all hearing
in the ears of their hearts
the clash of falling cars
again and again,
bring quiet to their fears
and set their memories
on the tracks of peace. Amen
(Psalm 107:23-30)