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World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 31, 2017

Do you know what I have done for you? – John 13:12c

And new things I now declare – Isaiah 42:9b

The word of the Lord stands forever – Isaiah 40:8b, I Peter 1:25

Lord, we see what you have done for us, but sometimes it is difficult as we do not know or understand exactly what this is. We only see that something has happened, something is different.

Then there are the times, over generations, when we have acted as if we were gods. When failures to understand and then to correct, once we have understood, catch up with us, we are quick to blame you and slow to mend our ways. As the effects of global warming are felt around the world it is easier to say “an act of God” than “an act of humanity.”Forgive us our failure to be proportionate and well balanced in our assertions. We do not know what you have done when in your steadfast love you declare this new thing: we are forgiven.

The word of the Lord stands forever.

You take the work of human hands and, against all sense but out of unconditional love, you make good what we have done and declare new things. As we face the worst damage that hurricane Harvey is wreaking on Texas, Louisiana and regions in the US; as most States in India and Mumbai suffer collapse of buildings and flooding; regions in Nepal and one-third of Bangladesh cope with monsoon flooding which has killed more than 1,200 people and made millions homeless; as heavy rains flood Niamey, the capital of Niger, Africa; as the second tropical storm in days hits Southern China and Hong Kong; we pray that out of all this horrendous upheaval new attitudes, new ways of living, new things will grow.

Lord, declare new things, now.

The word of the Lord stands forever.

It is strange to those safe in developed countries that even flooded Bangladesh becomes a refuge to the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar fleeing nationalist persecution. It is strange to us in Europe that crossing the Mediterranean in unsafe boats seems a better chance at living than remaining in so many third world countries. It is strange to us in our wealth that Brazil is now opening environmental reserves to destructive mining in parts of the Amazon. Give us a new understanding of wealth and safety and plenty — so that we do not take more resources than we need from our planet.

Lord, declare new things, now.

The word of the Lord stands forever.

As we see the heroes in their little boats in the southern states of the US; as we see the heroes of conservation protecting endangered species in Nepal; as we see heroes pull people from the seas of southern Europe and those who give them clothing, food and respite; as we see those heroes who continue the work of caring long after the journalists have gone – in Freetown, Sierra Leone dealing with the disastrous landslide; among rescue workers in the Alps landslide in Bondo, Switzerland; with medical workers in Yemen – we know that you are constantly declaring the good news of your love for all this, your world.

Lord declare new things, now.

The word of the Lord stands forever

Amen

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 3, 2017

The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:14

There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;

There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

God of grace and glory, God who knows our hearts and minds, you can see, you can feel the pain of your children as we attempt to honestly bring to you our concerns for the people of this world, our sisters and brothers in so many places, people who are striving for good and honest and just government in Venezuela and Brazil, in Syria and Iran, in Kenya and Turkey and Pakistan. We lift up those abducted in the night, those arrested, jailed, and persecuted for speaking out for justice and their stance against the governments they believe are not functioning in the best interests of the people.

The Lord upholds those who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Even as migrants continue to risk everything crossing into Europe, preyed upon by smugglers, as people in Central America continue to flee gang violence, human trafficking and threats to their lives, so many national governments are attempting to limit immigration, tightening immigration laws, heedless that our sisters and brothers desperately need both sanctuary and hope, and so we lift up both the refugees and those in government, that hearts might be opened and lives saved.

The Lord upholds those who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Send your protective mercy to the firefighters in Western Canada and USA as forests and fields, families and communities come into harms way and a smokey haze fills the region impacting the health of elders and those with respiratory conditions.

The Lord upholds those who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Even as our hearts are heavy, you gift us to see glimmers of light which shine from unexpected places: the man who gave a ride to a stranger in need in North Carolina, USA who now continues to offer rides to strangers in need he encounters; the young Wal-Mart employee in Oklahoma, USA who paid for the groceries of a harried and struggling foster mom at the check-out counter; and 8-year-old Roxy Gettes who became the youngest girl to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro, Kenya with her family. We lift up all who continue to inspire us and give us hope in the goodness and beauty of life.

The Lord upholds those who are falling; and raises up all who are bowed down.

As we look toward the wonder of the total solar eclipse later this August, and are reminded how marvelous and consistent are the forces of nature that are outside of our control. We lift up those in Kenya, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo who are working to save the elephants, as well as those policy-makers in China who are working to outlaw the ivory trade. Keep us ever mindful of our role as stewards taking seriously our responsibility to care for this amazing world.

The Lord upholds those who are falling; and raises up all who are bowed down.

God of grace and glory, God who knows our hearts and minds, help us in our determination to be the people you have created and called us to be. When we become discouraged, lift us up. When we think it is all up to us, fill us with humility. When our hearts become fearful and fretful, remind us of your unfailing love, which flows even through us.

The Lord upholds those who are falling; and raises up all who are bowed down.

In this promise, we live and move and have our being. Amen and Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, July 13, 2017

Dear God of instruction, open our hearts to learn, learn as our forebears in faith learned. Looking back on their experiences in captivity and liberation, they heard, “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”(Deuteronomy 8:3). Free us from the temptation to wallow in the infantile comfort of feeding without growing into the mature works of justice and loving-kindness in our own communities.

Dear God of preparation, mold us to the courage of Christ, in the midst of temptation, rejecting Satan’s offer of worldly power. “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “[Matthew 4:4 NRSV] We live in contentious times. Build in us the power to withstand the desire to ignore the great threats of systemically-caused tragedies like global warming. Take any fear of thinking clearly from us. It is only a ploy lest we learn what we don’t want to know.

Dear God of inspiration, open our eyes to see your will in marvels around us. Let us witness to and praise the human chain quickly and efficiently formed in Florida in the United States to rescue a family caught in a riptide. Let us rejoice in the life of Chinese dissident Lin Xiaobo, an intellectual who put himself in the path of soldiers in Tiananmen Square to save protestors, winning the Nobel Peace Prize while serving a prison term, and who died of liver cancer while in custody this week. With compassion for his widow Liu Xia and all who mourn his death personally, receive our gratitude for all who show the rest of us the way.

Dear God of eternity, stretch our stubborn desire to think short term. Frighten us, if you must, when a trillion-ton iceberg is calved in Antarctica. Amaze us with DNA imaging. Fill us with enthusiasm for all that is good and may one day be even better in your beautiful world.

All of this we pray, trusting in your grace-filled love and compassion for us, your people. Amen

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, June 15, 2017

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
therefore ask the overseer of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest.
—Matthew 9.37-38

Harvest by Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Maybe the harvest is not bringing people to Christ
but gathering the fruits of the Spirit
God has sown in you
for the sake of the world.

Maybe it’s not an act of taking,
but receiving.

The harvest is plentiful
but few are the people who have gathered,
who have received the gifts, the grace,
the love growing in your heart,
and feasted on those fruits
to be strengthened to go out
and heal the wounded,
and be good news for the broken of the world.

The field stretches to the horizon.
There are more trees in this orchard
than stars in heaven.

What grace have you not yet harvested?
Go into that good harvest.
Here is a basket for your labors. Go.
Called together in the Spirit’s embrace, let us pray for the mending of God’s world.

Holy God, Loving God, Steadfast God, Compassionate God, looking at this world which You have created, this world over which You have given us stewardship, it is so easy to become discouraged and disheartened, to forget Your call to harvest Your grace, and to be good news for those who are broken. Sometimes all our tear-clouded eyes can see is the heartache and heartbreak which holds us in its thrall, making it difficult to see anything other than darkness and despair:

*Despair about an unknown blast which went off in eastern China, leaving at least seven people dead and over sixty-five others injured.

*Despair about a suicide car bombing into a hotel restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia, where at least nineteen are dead and many others wounded

*Despair about the fire in the Grenfell Tower in London, England, where at least seventeen people have died and dozens of others are in hospitals, many of them in critical condition.

*Despair about the shooting in Virginia, US, at a Congressional baseball game practice, where six people were shot and the gunman was killed.

*Despair about Ohio, US student, Otto Warmbler, released by North Korea after seventeen months in captivity, who is in the hospital suffering from a severe neurological injury.

*Despair about the hundreds of civilian casualties in Raqqa, Syria, due to US-led air strikes.

*Despair about hot car deaths – deaths of children being left alone in vehicles during hot weather – occurring in the US, as three children have died in the last week.

*Despair about the road-rage shooting and killing of 2-year-old Laylah Washington of Memphis, Tennessee, US.

Holy God, Loving God, Steadfast God, Compassionate God, looking at this world which You have created, this world which You call us to co-create with You, open our eyes and our hearts to see the harvest of Your grace-filled love which is being made manifest in countless places, through countless people, children of Your own creation.

*The harvest of over one hundred and twenty migrants, who had been abandoned by traffickers without food or water in the Sahara desert, by Niger authorities.

*The harvest of the organization My Stealthy Freedom in Iran, led by Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist who boldly organized #whitewednesdays to protest a law forcing Iranian women to wear head scarves.

*The harvest of the work of 26-year-old Rahmatullah Arman, who, through Teach for Afghanistan, has placed 80 graduates from Afghan universities into twenty-one schools to teach 23,000 students in the hope of reducing the country’s 60% adult illiteracy rate.

*The harvest of the election in Ireland of Leo Varadkar, of Indian descent, as the country’s youngest and first openly-gay prime minister.

Holy God, Loving God, Steadfast God, Compassionate God, looking at this world which You have created, this world which You love, we Your people reach out this day. We reach out with grief and gratitude, with worry and wonder, and with tears and triumph. We open ourselves to Your Spirit as it longs to fill us with the gifts of Your grace, to empower us with the strength and courage to speak truth, and to work for justice and the healing of wounds we encounter and cause. May it be so, today and every day.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, May 11, 2017

[Jesus said to the disciples,] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:1-6, ESV

God of solace and peace, through Your Son, You spoke to us a word of comfort: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” And yet we look around the world and we find many reasons to be troubled. We see suffering and broken relationships that we know are the result of our sin, and we confess these sins to You. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We have allowed this beautiful planet in which You lovingly prepared a place for us to suffer from our neglect and abuse. Officials in Nepal have announced the highly polluted state of air in the sacred site of Lumbini, the historic birthplace of Buddha. The future of the Paris, France climate agreement, which has already been ratified by 140 countries, is uncertain in light of comments made by the president of the US that he wants to pull out of the deal. We strip the earth of natural resources with little concern for its impact on our world or for the safety of those who do the work; this week, at least 42 people have died in an explosion at a coal mine near Azadshahr, Iran. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, overusing and abusing the earth for our own purposes. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We skew the good news, turning “I am the way, the truth, and the life” from an invitation into a threat. We forget Your message of love and inclusion of all, announcing that there is no room in our communities for people who look different from us or act differently than us. We turn a blind eye to the suffering of children in war-torn areas, like those suffering from a cholera outbreak in Yemen due to a breakdown in infrastructure. Even as 250 more refugees have drowned this week in shipwrecks off the coast of Libya, we continue to ignore the desperation of refugees who risk everything to escape the fear and pain of life in their home countries. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, denying the humanity of people we see as different. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We ignore the path You’ve left for us to follow, choosing to put our trust in our own power or in the power of earth’s corruptible and fallible human rulers. Political anger and unrest grow around the world, with two more polarizing elections leading to the victories of Moon Jae-in in South Korea and Emmanuel Macron in France. Nearly 20 government officials have been convicted and sentenced for negligence and abuse of power in Shenzhen, China after their part in a landfill landslide which resulted in the deaths of 73 people in 2015. Many of Your children suffer at the hands of those in power, like the hundreds of innocent people who were affected by tear gas used on protesters when the gas seeped into homes, schools, and a hospital in Caracas, Venezuela. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, placing our hope in earthly powers that can only disappoint us. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

Even as many countries around the world celebrate Mother’s Day, we silently watch as families experience estrangement, abandonment, and every form of abuse. We turn away from the pain of those who have lost their parents or for whom experiences of parenthood have been difficult. We ignore the isolation felt by people who cannot or choose not to have children. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, neglecting to see and respond to the needs of those around us. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

Despite all of the pain in the world, You direct us: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” For, in the words of Your Son, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” Remind us, O God of welcome, that, unlike the overcrowded inns of Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth, there is plenty of room for everyone in Your kingdom. And unlike the spaces of our world, where people of different colors, shapes, opinions, languages, and abilities are rejected or at best begrudgingly tolerated, in Your kingdom everyone truly belongs. Fill our hearts with gratitude for this good news, O Lord, and embolden us to be Your hands and voices in the world, that we might build an image of Your all-encompassing house of love and reconciliation here on earth, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, May 4, 2017

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. – John 10:10b

Never-ending God, we long for abundant life. All too often we settle for what our minds believe we deserve. But that isn’t abundance. Or, as we strive to live abundantly, we do so at the expense of others, or the environment, or even ourselves. In our human economy we see all things as finite. We believe there is just enough to go around, maybe not even enough. But in your divine economy there is enough for all to have full cups, overflowing cups…Help us, O God, to see that reality, to live into that truth!

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Forgive us, O God, when our near-sightedness leads to death and destruction. Comfort the family of Abdullahi Sheikh Abas who was mistaken for an Islamic extremist and killed in Somalia. Be with the families of all who are killed because of misunderstanding, prejudice and hate. Surround the families of the miners in Iran who gave their lives trying to save the lives of their trapped coworkers. Jesus said there was no greater gift than to give our lives for our friends. Yet we long for a world where that gift is rendered unnecessary. Be also with the people of the indigenous tribes of the Amazon, as they face attacks from outsiders. Be also with the activists and government officials in Brazil as they seek to find a way to help protect our neighbors.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Support the community near Madrid, Spain, where there have been explosions at a chemical plant. Injuries to the workers and to the environment demonstrate the frailty of our search for abundance. Help us to turn our focus to you, O God. Be also with the people of Beijing and Northern China as they suffer under a dust storm, and the people in the Midwest United States as they deal with flooding. Help us, Sustaining God, to see how we can support the abundance of life on the Earth, and not diminish it.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Jesus came that we might have abundant life. Empower us, O God, to work toward co-creating that abundance with you today, and every day.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, November 3, 2016

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38-39, NLT

Recognizing the effects of fear and anxiety in our lives, we look at the world and ask, “Where is God?” More and more situations provoke our worry and wreak havoc on our societies – terrorism, wars and conflicts, natural disasters, persecution, crime and violence, economic uncertainty, unemployment, divisions, illness, death, bereavement, and even social media encounters can trigger fear in us, bringing debilitating anxiety for some and daily worry for many.

As Americans across the USA face the final days of a close presidential race, we pray that the result might bring hope and promise for the country both at home and abroad.
Lord, comfort and protect us in the shroud of your loving arms.

As severe droughts continue in countries around the world including India, Brazil, Puerto Rico, North Korea, and the USA, we pray for farmers, crops, and cattle, for those who thirst and for those who work tirelessly to bring life-giving water to suffering communities.
Lord, comfort and protect us in the shroud of your loving arms.

In the aftermath of a fatal bus crash in Baltimore, USA and the fatal shooting of two police officers in Iowa, USA, we pray that the families of those lost may be comforted by the memories of their loved ones and by your loving presence.
Lord, comfort and protect us in the shroud of your loving arms.

As the death toll in the dispute over the Kashmir region between Pakistan and India reaches nineteen, we pray that tensions can be quashed and a peaceful negotiation can ensue before more lives are disrupted and lost.
Lord, comfort and protect us in the shroud of your loving arms.

In the wake of another earthquake that rocked central Italy, we pray for those injured and the thousands left homeless, especially those still struggling to rebuild from previous quakes, and for the emergency services personnel who are already stretched thin but are working hard to cope with the aftermath of the quake and continuing aftershocks.
Lord, comfort and protect us in the shroud of your loving arms.

As the last shelters of “The Jungle” in Calais, France, are dismantled, we pray that the migrants, many of whom are children, will be accommodated and find a safe, welcoming, and warm place to live.
Lord, comfort and protect us in the shroud of your loving arms.

As millions of displaced people continue to struggle in the wake of Boko Haram’s violence in Nigeria, we pray for the vulnerable women and girls who escaped from the violence of the Boko Haram camps only to be sexually abused by Nigerian officials in camps set up to protect them.
Lord, comfort and protect us in the shroud of your loving arms.

As men and women around the world risk their lives daily working in dangerous environments and conditions, we pray for the families of the miners in China who died in a gas explosion.
Lord, comfort and protect us in the shroud of your loving arms.

We ask you, Lord, to rid us of our anxieties and help us to cast our fears aside. Let the dark shadows of our souls be borne into your perpetual light, so that we might walk with the courage of your holy guidance and spirit. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016

On Sunday after Sunday in our worship we sing:

            Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
            Whose blood set us free to be people of God.
            Power and riches, wisdom and strength,
            And honor and blessing and glory are his.

And with these words in mind this day, we pray to the God of Love, the God of relationship, the God of community- Creator, Son, and Living Spirit.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

As the Mosul offensive rages in Syria, we rejoice in the 50 villages which have been freed from the control of ISIL, but we grieve for the millions of refugees who have lost their homes, their families, their livelihoods, and some, their lives, in the search for peace.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

Together, we grieve for the families and friends of the 13 dead and more than two dozen injured in the crash of a tour bus in California, USA. Even as authorities seek for answers, guide them in the path of truth.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

As protests continue at the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, USA, we grieve with the 27 peaceful activists arrested on October 10^th, as they supported the Standing Rock Sioux who believe that the pipeline will taint their water supplies and encroach on tribal burial sites. Fill us with the daring and commitment to support and honor indigenous peoples where we are and throughout the world.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

As the people of the United States are in the final days of the presidential campaign, we pray for a nation that is deeply divided. May they act and vote out of love, mercy, and justice rather than out of arrogance or hatred or fear.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

Justice-Seeking God, grant to all of your children in every nation, especially Syria, Burundi, Colombia, Great Britain, Greece, Russia, China, and the USA, leaders and policymakers who can ensure equality and justice through equitable taxes, jobs which pay a living wage, and who refuse to resort to war instead of diplomacy.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

Peace-Bringing God, we pray for the vulnerable in Somalia, Eritrea, Mexico, Venezuela, and throughout your world where violence and corruption destroy and devastate lives. Forgive us, and call us to account where for the sake of economic advantage in the name of “free trade” we sell arms to governments and groups who abuse their own citizens.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

Justice-Seeking God, help light and truth to illuminate various trade agreements being negotiated in secret such as TTIP and CETA between the US, Canada and Europe which would give international companies the right to sue sovereign governments to advance corporate interests while having the power to force national institutions to purchase their goods and services even when not in the interests of the country and its citizens.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

In our zeal to defend our own positions, to prove ourselves “right”, help us to never lose sight of the reality that each person we encounter is a child of your own making, regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, economic situation, sexuality, or age. May we see in the faces of those around us and across this globe your own face, filled with love and hope, mercy and peace.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.

Into your hands, God of Grace and Mercy, we entrust all for whom we pray, certain of your loving care and immeasurable grace, shown to us in Jesus the Christ. AMEN

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, September 22, 2016

“The Bible says little about the temperature of hell nor the furniture of heaven”. This quote from the great German theologian Reinhold Niebuhr fits in with the story of the rich man and Lazarus where we are made aware of the dangers of being mean with our money and uncharitable to others. This is echoed by the scam artists who have been using Italy’s earthquake disaster for profit by selling T-shirts and claiming the proceeds will go to the victims and their families. We, as human beings must adopt a just and moral outlook to life and realise that bad deeds have consequences and bring regret, and yet also know that God is at our side, protecting us and forgiving us when we show remorse and hold steadfast in our beliefs.
• After a ‘Refugees Welcome Here’ march in London, England, let us pray against the exploitation of thousands of refugees in places such as the Middle East and South Sudan who can be ruthlessly stripped of their life’s savings to risk their lives to escape from war and poverty for a better life. The UN estimates there are over 65 million people worldwide who have had to flee their homes, 34,000 every day, nearly half of which are children. Many are missing and are feared to have fallen victim to human traffickers, sexual abuse or modern slavery.
Merciful Lord, defend and protect those innocents, and let peace override greed and power…
• We pray for those affected by the world’s natural disasters of floods, fires and typhoons: in the U.S., Taiwan, China, Greece and North Korea.
‘For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens…’ (2 Corinthians 5.1)
• Let us also pray for the 9 people stabbed at a shopping centre in Minnesota, U.S. in a suggested religious attack. For the 29 people in the U.S. who were injured in an explosion in Manhattan, New York and those affected by the explosion in New Jersey. We pray, too, for the cities of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina, which are reeling from the deaths this week of two black men killed by police, Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott, and ask, Loving God, that peace and wisdom may prevail, and hearts may be opened.
• We pray for the dozens of aid workers and truck drivers killed by two air strikes near Aleppo, Syria.
• We pray for the 13 dead after a boat capsized north of Bangkok, Thailand and the 43 migrants who perished off the Egyptian coast, with hundreds still missing.
• Let our thoughts turn to the 20 killed in rebel fighting in Central African Republic and those suffering from warfare throughout the continent.
Gracious God, bring comfort to the victims and help turn the hearts that hate…
Help us Lord, to take pride in helping others, to put our trust in you instead of money and put it to good use. We can then be rich in ourselves and our souls if we are generous to those less well-off whether they be family, friend or neighbour, close by or far away. Let us take inspiration from those people; such as the man from Yorkshire, England who ran 75 marathons in 75 days, at the age of 75, raising £75,000 for a special needs school.
Lord, we give thanks and praise to those who inspire us; bless them all.
Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, September 15

O how wondrous
is the foreknowledge of the divine heart
that knew every creature in advance.
For when God looked upon the human face
that he had formed,
he glimpsed all his works,
in that same human form, all summed up.
O how wondrous is the inspiration
that has thus animated the human being.

Hildegard of Bingen, “O quam mirabilis”

Creator God, your love for us is apparent in the wonder and complexity with which we are made. We are created with endless diversity, each face distinct, each personality unique, and yet we all bear your divine image. The inspiration with which you breathed us into life is displayed in so many ways:

In the perseverance and strength of athletes during the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
In the persistence of rescue crews in Bukoba, Tanzania, who searched for survivors of an earthquake, and crews who worked in Taiwan and China to evacuate families and prepare for the arrival of Super Typhoon Meranti;
In the devotion of over 1.8 million Muslims who traveled to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the Hajj pilgrimage;
In the compassion and courage of first responders in O Porrino, Spain, who worked to rescue victims of a deadly train crash, and in Tongi, Bangladesh, who battled a fire caused by a deadly factory explosion;
In the emerging hope for peace in Colombia, where FARC rebels have released a group of child soldiers and have promised to discontinue recruitment of children.

We know, Lord, that you rejoice with us when we embody the love and care for which you created us. And yet so often we fall short, seeing the gift of diversity as a threat and forgetting the divine image that we all possess. Fear, suffering, and broken relationships disfigure your divine image and damage your creation in so many ways:

In violent hate crimes perpetrated against Muslim mothers in New York, US and Bletchley, UK;
In a successful nuclear test in North Korea, which deepens tension among nations and adds to the number of nuclear-capable countries, including Russia, the US, France, China, the UK, Pakistan, India, and Israel;
In acts of terrorism designed to spread fear and perpetuate extremism in Minto, Australia; Shikarpur, Pakistan; and around the globe.

Forgive us for abandoning our primary identity as your beloved children. Bring hope and healing to our broken world. Give us strength and inspiration to look into the faces of our neighbors and see what you see: A glimpse of all your works, a glimpse of you.

Amen.

Note: Many Christians celebrate the feast of St Hildegard of Bingen on 17 September. Hildegard was a Benedictine nun and Christian mystic, writer, and composer in 10^th century Germany.