(The preceding paragraph was taken from The Wisdom to Know the Difference: When to Make A Change–and When to Let Go. The individual wording more common on coffee mugs and tea towels is pithier than the original, but it relieves the prayer of its bigger challenge, to seek the wisdom to know the difference, not just in personal matters like birth and death, but in social issues, like poverty, injustice, and war. Furthermore, it was written in the plural: “God grant us.” Obviously there are problems that people can tackle together that they could not solve alone. There is a short version of the Serenity Prayer which is just the first few verses. Although Niebuhr was not optimistic about human nature, his prayer asks first for God’s grace, inviting us to imagine miracles. The Serenity Prayer - Full Version The Serenity Prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1940s. For Niebuhr, racism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of injustice were clearly on that list. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Living one day at a time enjoying one moment at a time accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. There are many things we know should be changed that we simply put up with because change seems so impossible. God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference. If you think about that for a minute, you’ll realize that they are not necessarily the same. Niebuhr’s version doesn’t ask for courage to change what can be changed, but for courage to change what shouldbe changed. which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish. the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things. It has been noted that the differences in the versions are not insignificant. God, give me grace to accept with serenity. Niebuhr’s daughter Elisabeth Sifton wrote in her book The Serenity Prayer: Faith and Politics in Times of Peace and War that Niebuhr included the following prayer in a sermon delivered during the early 1940s: The Serenity Prayer is most commonly attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, a famous Protestant theologian known for his concern for social justice. Although it addresses God, it has been meaningful to people from a wide variety of religious backgrounds, as well as those who don’t belong to an organized religion. Whether you’re dealing with addiction, divorce, illness or something as mundane as a flat tire or a cranky toddler, the Serenity Prayer points a way out of feeling stuck. One of the most popular and beloved prayers in the world, the Serenity Prayer has helped millions of people let go of anxiety and focus on the things that are in their control, rather than obsessing over the things that aren’t. About the Serenity Prayer: Origin & Several Versions
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