This litany addresses the Lectionary text for the Feast of the Cross, focusing on the Corinthians passage.

God, where most people only see chaos and destruction
We see the helpers. (1)
Where most people only see wrath and anger,
We see unending love and patience.
Where most people only see torture on a cross,
We see a story of kindness lived out.
Where most people only see humanity destroying itself
We see the Kingdom near.

We admit it:
We are utter fools (2) --
Seeing beyond seeing,
Believing beyond seeing,
Imagining beyond believing,
Hoping beyond imagining.

Though the earth may give way
And the mountains fall into the sea,
We will not fear. (3)
We will not stop hoping in your love.

We are fools to believe in peace
Where peace seems impossible.
We are fools to believe in love
Where love seems implausible.
We are fools to hope in an eternal story behind the time-bound one,
When hope seems ridiculous.

But we are happy fools,
Alive in your life,
Alive in the foolishness of the cross of Christ,
Ready to offer hope to the wise. (4)

(1) Quote from Fred Rogers: ““When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
(2) 1 Corinthians 1:18
(3) Psalm 46:2
(4) 1 Corinthians 1:21