Ivory Tower Prince

Dear Lord,

Please don't let me turn into an ivory tower prince,
someone who has labored to build himself into a kingdom
far away from reality,
safe from harm,
safe from doubt,
safe from dirt.

Please don't let me forget how to live,
how to truly live,
to be truly human,
fully human.

Please help me not to take myself too seriously,
and to be a light,
a brilliant light,
but soft to the eyes,
filling them with joy and wonder
at the magnificence of the most Wonderful Creator.

Free me from a life of fear,
where I fear you with the kind of fear
that frees me from all other fears,
most of all, the fear of my fellow sojourners
on this planet you made
with simple words
and an insuperable will.

Help me to see my brothers and sisters
in this journey called life
as they truly are,
flesh of my flesh,
bone of my bone,
here not by choice
but by Your sovereign wisdom--
all of us,
every last one.

For the glory of Your awesome name,
keep me real.