This has been one of those weeks, God…one of those weeks in which too many things have been happening- in my own life and in the lives of the rest of your children throughout the world.
- Here in the United States, we are reeling with not one, but two shootings of black men by police officers, seemingly without reason, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. And late this evening comes the news of four police officers killed and at least seven others wounded by two snipers in Dallas, Texas, during a protest against the killings by police in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis. We want to have faith in, to trust those who have been commissioned to “Serve and Protect”; we want to have faith in those who protest the system; but it becomes more and more difficult to do so when, over and over again, that trust has been eroded.
And all we can say, with tears streaming down our faces, and our hearts filled with grief and confusion, is:
Lord, have mercy.
- The citizens of Great Britain continue to reel after the Brexit vote, as everyday people wonder what this will mean for their lives, as the British pound is at its lowest level in more than 20 years, as young people wonder how this decision made by their elders will impact their lives in the years to come.
And all we can say, with tears streaming down our faces, and our hearts filled with grief and confusion, is:
Lord, have mercy.
- In China, continued severe flooding has impacted thousands, while flooding in the state of West Virginia, U.S., has destroyed countless homes and lives which will have to rebuilt from scratch. And wildfires continue to rage in California, U.S., with hundreds of homes destroyed and thousands fleeing.
And all we can say, with tears streaming down our faces, and our hearts filled with grief and confusion, is:
Lord, have mercy.
- The people of Turkey are reeling from the bomb attacks at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, with more than 50 dead and hundreds wounded; while the death toll in suicide bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, has risen to 292.
And all we can say, with tears streaming down our faces, and our hearts willed with grief and confusion, is:
Lord, have mercy.
- In the midst of all this devastation and heartache is the reality of the plight of refugees worldwide – the millions who have fled their homes because of war, out of fear for their lives, leaving behind everything but what they could carry. Fleeing in the hope that, somewhere, there would be a welcome and a home for them – but often, encountering hate and prejudice and xenophobia at every turn.
And all we can say, with tears streaming down our faces, and our hearts filled with grief and confusion, is:
Lord, have mercy.
And so, in this difficult and painful week, bathe us with your healing balm, we pray. Be with all those who have lost a loved one; those who have lost all their earthly possessions; those who have lost a limb or lost their life. Be with all those who are fighting the fires and floods; those who are reaching out and rescuing, even at the risk of their own lives. Be with those – like us – who are being confronted on every side by things we do not understand but which lay us bare, leave us vulnerable, unable to see the light, even as we look toward you, who is that Light.
Heal us, Gracious God; heal this hurting world. And show us how to BE your light and healing, wherever we are.
Amen and amen
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