Daily (James Baldwin–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

 

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Lord,
you know that in this country,
truth has always had to fight
its way to the surface—
and lies have always had
better lighting.

In this bright, humming world
of feeds and headlines,
teach me to tell the truth
about what I see
and what I know.

Protect me from the seduction
of comfort and denial—
from scrolling past suffering
because it unsettles me,
from sharing shallow slogans
instead of listening
to the people
who live the story.

Guard my own heart
from the easy anger
that never becomes responsibility.

Let my questions
about injustice
lead not just to words,
but to choices:
what I amplify,
what I refuse to excuse,
who I stand beside
when the crowd turns cruel.

And grant that my stewardship
of this digital life
be marked by courage and tenderness—
courage to name what’s wrong,
tenderness toward those
who are wronged,
and a stubborn insistence
that love and clarity
still have work to do
in this land,
on this screen.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [James Baldwin] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [James Baldwin], and should not be taken as his real views or words.''

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)