World in Prayer

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, June 29, 2017

Your glorious cause, O God
Engages our hearts
May Jesus Christ be known
Wherever we are
We ask not for ourselves, but for Your renown
The cross has saved us so we pray
Your kingdom come.
– Let Your Kingdom Come, by Bob Kauflin

Holy and almighty God, in the face of suffering and trials, we turn inward, grasping to maintain the fleeting illusion of control over the world around us. We know that we are powerless to stop the hands of time, to hold onto that which we desire, or even to keep ourselves alive and well.  Whether we admit it or not, our lives are in your hands, O God.  And so we beg you to teach us to pray with our minds, our hearts, our spirits, and our lives: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done. 

In the face of a travel ban to the US for people from six primarily Muslim countries that is preventing refugees from escaping persecution and keeping families apart: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the face of an escalating refugee crisis in Europe, in which Italy has threatened to close ports and block rescue ships from docking: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the face of continued racial injustice in the US, where criminal justice reform is so desperately needed: In the lives of those in need: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the face of the deaths of dozens of people who were deserted by human traffickers in Niger without food or water: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the face of sex abuse accusations against a high-ranking Vatican official: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the face of a corruption scandal that has engulfed a large number of Brazil’s national government officials: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the face of the deaths of newborn babies in Gaza City, Palestine, who are denied exit permits for treatment in Israel: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the lives of those in need: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the lives of those we love: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the life of your church: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

In the life of our world: your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thurs., Feb. 9, 2017

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. -Luke 10:27

“it is
written in the law.” heart
& soul. love. neighbor.

even if they aren’t nice. another
chance to hear that answer.      
–From luke poem by Brian G. Gilmore

Even as the lawyer questioned Jesus, gracious and loving and welcoming God, we come before you asking that same question: “Who is my neighbor?” And even as the answer was not easy for that man to hear, so it is not easy for many of us, as we look around our world with eyes and hearts filled with fear, thinking of the suicide bomber at the Afghan Supreme Court in Kabul, Afghanistan, who killed 20 and wounded more than 40; thinking of the more than 13,000 civilians who have been hanged by the Syrian government for daring to oppose the government; thinking of the move by the Israeli government to legalize thousands of settler homes on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, displacing the residents already there and presenting an obstacle to the peace process; thinking of the countless immigrants and refugees struggling to reach places of safety and hope.

Open our minds and hearts, O God, that we may love our neighbors as ourselves, recognizing everyone as our neighbor.

Even as some within our world, within our societies, deny the reality of the changing climate, and deny the need to protect the environment, our call to love our neighbor means that we pray today for the Standing Rock Tribe in North Dakota, U.S., as the U.S. Army is about to give permission for the Dakota Access pipeline, despite protests in which nearly 700 have been arrested. We pray for the Saiga antelope in Mongolia, which is being wiped out by an uncontrolled virus that threatens the entire antelope population. We pray for those affected by the tornadoes which have swept through Louisiana, U.S., causing widespread damage in New Orleans East, injuring 20 and severely damaging more than 60 homes and businesses. We pray for those buried by the avalanche in North Nuristan Province in Afghanistan, where at least 120 are dead and scores more are missing, even as rescue workers try valiantly to save the survivors.

Open our minds and hearts, O God, that we may love our neighbors as ourselves, recognizing everyone as our neighbor.

With that long-ago lawyer, we can so easily lose sight of the reality of our connectedness to one another, even those with whom we differ, even those whom we never see. And so, today, we pray for all those in the United States concerned about women’s health and reproductive rights; we pray for the healthcare workers in Caracas, Venezuela, who are protesting to demand government action for improved health care in that country, as hospitals are in crisis, medications and equipment are scarce, staffing is insufficient, and people are suffering; we pray for the people of Somalia, as they face a contentious presidential election on the rocky road to democracy.

Open our minds and hearts, O God, that we may love our neighbors as ourselves, recognizing everyone as our neighbor.

But even into those places where we hide in our fear and confusion, you come, Divine Light, filling our awareness with hope. And so we pray in thanksgiving for the people of Colombia as their government begins peace talks with rebels in a bid to end a five-decade conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. We pray in thanksgiving for Australia, as they mark 50 years without executions. And we pray with thanksgiving for the doctors and researchers who are pioneering the use of lasers in removing brain cancer.

Open our minds and hearts, O God, that we may love our neighbors as ourselves, recognizing everyone as our neighbor.

All of these people and places that fill our prayers we entrust into your gracious and loving hands, God of welcome and inclusion – even as we are ever mindful that we do not love you with our whole heart, soul, strength, and mind, nor do we love our neighbors as ourselves.

This, we confess; for this, we ask forgiveness, living in the assurance of your grace.
Amen and amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, January 19, 2017

At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of the extremist.  … But as I continue to think about the matter I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist.  Was not Jesus an extremist in love – “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.”  Was not Amos an extremist for justice – “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”  Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ – “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”  Was not Martin Luther an extremist – “here I stand; I can do none other so help me God.”  Was not John Bunyan an extremist – “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.”  Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist – “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.”  Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist – “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal.”  So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist we will be.  Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love?  Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice – or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?

– Martin Luther King Jr, “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” (1963)

God of honor and power, mercy and grace, we give You thanks for the witness of Martin Luther King, Jr., who worked all his life to bring true justice and love to our world.  He reminded us that You know our hearts, O Creator, and You know our love of extremes.  We have filled this world You love with extremes and extremism: Extremism in religion, extremism in the language we use to describe and categorize Your children, and extremism in political and social positions.  Yet Dr. King reminds us that we are all extremists, that we all have passions and perspectives to defend and express.  Help us to be aware of our extremisms, Lord, and fill our hearts with the right kinds of extremism.

Make us extremists for love, O God.  Give us the capacity for the radical kind of love displayed by Your Son and his true followers.  Make our hearts overflow with love for all of Your children, and equip us to work for those who most need to see and feel Your love.

  • Renew our compassion for the refugees who risk their lives to cross the dangerous Mediterranean Sea in hope of a better life. As we hear news of another set of capsized boats off the coast of Libya that have left over 180 people dead or missing, may we push beyond the calluses of repetition and feel Your holy anger at the loss of these beloved mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters.
  • Increase our dedication to bringing peace to war-torn places around the world. Inspire us to use our time, our talents, and our treasures to transform the lives of people who live in fear and insecurity every day.  As we hear news of an error by the Nigerian Air Force that resulted in the deaths of 100 people in a refugee camp, may we be filled with resolve to work for real and meaningful change to the circumstances of Your suffering children.
  • Rekindle our commitment to remembering the humanity and value of every life. As we hear news that the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 has been suspended may we pause to remember Your call to love the unloved, to remember the forgotten, and to serve the least and lost.
  • Stir our hearts toward peace and reconciliation. As many churches around the world observe a week of Prayer for Christian Unity, may we seek ways to overcome cultural and theological barriers that prevent us from seeing the humanity of our neighbors.  As we hear news of dozens of bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers in the US and England, may we be strengthened in our commitment to fight prejudice of all kinds, so that all people might live in peace and safety.

Make us extremists for justice, O God.  Give us eyes to see beyond our own comfort and our own commitments.  Shatter our illusions that what we are accustomed to is what ought to be, and make us Your hands, feet, and voice in the world as we work, march, and speak out on behalf of the oppressed.

  • Deepen our reliance on Your just and righteous rule for our lives. As the US faces the inauguration of a new president who has promised to turn his policies inward, and as the UK continues to feel the political and economic consequences of its Brexit decision, may we recall the fleeting and imperfect nature of the princes of this world, and may we put our trust in Your everlasting and righteous rule over our lives and our world.
  • Focus our minds on the work for justice to which You call each of us. As news of scandal and corruption plague the leaders of this world in places like the US, South Korea, The Gambia, and Russia, may we commit ourselves fully to meaningful action in our own contexts.
  • Give us patience and wisdom as we tackle the complicated and messy conflicts of our world. As the two-state solution in Israel-Palestine comes under increasing scrutiny and as skepticism increases, may we find the strength and tenacity to lean into difficult situations and resist the temptation to over-simplify.  May we be extremists for peace as we work toward true reconciliation that can only come from You.
  • Reawaken our dedication to justice for those who are marginalized. As we hear news of a school shooting/suicide in Monterrey, Mexico, by a 15-year-old student suffering from depression, may we commit ourselves anew to advocating for programs and funding to help those with mental illness.

Make us extremists for the good news of Your Son, O God.  Remind us that this news is only good when we shed our extremism for hate and reject our extremism for the preservation of injustice.  Make us Your messengers of extreme love and extreme justice in the world.  Give us strength to support each other as we live Your call to action through prayer and protest,  marching and meditation, and in aiding the distressed and oppressed.  May our hearts, overflowing with the love You give us and committed to the justice You bring, shine Your light into all the world, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, December 29, 2016

Abba God, following the examples of the shepherds, wise men, Simeon and Anna and millions before us, we worship and adore you, giving thanks and praise.

As the turbulence that was 2016 draws to a close, we pause on the cusp of what was, what is and what is to be… There is so much uncertainty, fear, division, war, hunger, greed, tragedy, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, fires, unexpected political wins and losses. In our media, too often lies and exaggerations play on what causes fear, tension, negativity and division.  It drowns out the gentle melody of good news. It drowns out the generosity and quiet neighborliness of ordinary people all over the world; the selfless dedication and courage of so many in war zones seeking to help those in danger; those daring to stand against the mindless cruelty of abusive, hate and fear-ridden speech and actions against all those who are ‘other’ in so many ways.  In fact, the good news is abundant in love in action in everyday lives.

Incarnate Christ, you are the Word, the Truth, the Life, the Light of the World.  The Prince of Peace.  You are Love made flesh. Challenge each one of us again to be remade in Your image, not our image of You. Discomfort us. Awaken us to new life as we start a New Year. Give us the faith, courage and trust to walk with You where You lead – often outside of our own personal comfort zones.

Except for those of the Orthodox tradition, Christmas is mostly over  – although the post-Christmas sales bombard us with ‘offers’ on items we rarely need. The shepherds are returning to their flocks, the magi to their distant homes and studies. We return to work, consider new gym memberships, perhaps even make New Year resolutions.  But now the real work of Christmas is beginning…. sharing the good news of your incarnate love – Immanuel – God with us.  The work of bringing love to the unloved and invisible ones in society; working for peace and reconciliation between all communities and peoples; enabling each person to be valued as You value each one of us; confronting greed, bullying and lies wherever we encounter them.

As we prepare to begin the new year, we give thanks for the clear, cogent speech on the Israeli–Palestinian issues by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and pray for all leaders and people in this fulcrum of so much affecting the Middle Eastern countries, and therefore world peace. We give thanks also that the Syrian government and rebels have agreed to a nationwide ceasefire, backed by Russia and Turkey. Lighten our darkness and break down the fears and aggression running rampant in your world, Prince of Peace.

You are the God of Truth, justice, love and mercy.  Not easy concepts.  Not easy to live them moment by moment.
Help us, O Holy Child, Savior of the World – no exceptions.  
Amen.

*Note to our email subscribers: These are the real prayers for this week. Making some repairs to our website inadvertently caused our email service to send out an extra post yesterday – a post that was a conglomerate of all the posts since early October. Our apologies! We think the worst of the technology rebellion is over, and look forward to things working smoothly in the new year.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, November 17, 2016

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Beloved God, we see evidence throughout the world of how hard it is for some neighbors to love one another. We find continued difficulty in seeing You in each other. We worry that our hearts are incapable of loving the way You have called us to do so. We become incapacitated by our imperfect abilities to love.

And, yet, You call us to love one another. You tell us love is love, and to love is love, so that the light within us becomes brighter when we acknowledge and love the light within our neighbor.

Beloved God, help there to be more love in Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan, where governments are committing, or at least permitting, acts of terrorism.

Beloved God, be known in Haiti, where a cholera epidemic has already sickened 800,000 people. Let there be love amongst the workers attempting to vaccinate many more people than this against cholera.

Beloved God, help the people of Israel to love their neighbors:  Recent proposed legislation would label the loudspeakers used by mosques to summon the faithful as “noise pollution” and would ban them.

Beloved God, may you help the US President-Elect and his transition team to love their neighbors. Many of their actions have caused discomfort among American citizens and those who wish to become citizens.

Beloved God, let your light shine through in measles vaccination campaigns, so that 350 children do not die each day of this preventable disease.

Beloved God, let us love one another:

  • The dying and the grieving;
  • new parents and those who struggle to conceive;
  • the hungry, the infirm, and the joyous;
  • the travelers and the homeless;
  • those who do not look or talk or pray like us.

Let us love one another as you love us.

Let us show those who do not believe in a God of love that love and light are possible.Amen

And let us not feel incapacitated by love, but emboldened.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, October 6, 2016

At the time of the Mexican war, often viewed as a practice war for the United States shortly before the American Civil War, the poet James Russell Lowell penned lines that still speak to us:

Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

We open our hearts today to your wisdom and to your inspiration, loving God, recognizing in ourselves many problems surrounding “a moment to decide”.

  • We pray that we not artificially construct moments of decision that threaten more harm than good. In Columbia there has been a half century struggle between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) and the government. Just when it seemed a peace accord had been successfully negotiated, Colombian voters ever so narrowly rejected the proposal. As I write this prayer, serious efforts to preserve peace and to redesign a process they can be accepted by the country as a whole are underway. Oh Lord, in this moment of decision, we pray for your understanding of the importance of peace to all your children. We pray for your wisdom to design a way of living in peace that can endure, even unto generations yet unborn.
  • We pray for the United States at its quadrennial moment to decide who shall lead our government for the next four years. May voters not founder in a cowardly discouragement that refuses to make a decision. We pray for a vision inspired by the best in humankind and by the best in ourselves. We pray in deep gratitude for the memory of Shimon Peres. Surely his example of dedication to his country Israel and to his world that we all share can bless our call to citizenship. Be with each of us in our personal moments to decide.
  • We pray for refugees being relocated away from the Colima volcano erupting in Mexico and for all those suffering the impact of hurricane Matthew. We pray for strength to rebuild after the storm has played itself out.
  • In Syria where children huddle wherever they think they may survive, we pray that the leaders in the United Nations, in the United States, in Russia, in Syria itself, and wherever your spirit may bless someone to act may end this senseless, shameful, destructive war. Show us the way, we pray, to peace and prosperity, yes, even in Aleppo.

The poet ended his poem with a vision beyond a single moment in ways both bad and good:

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.

Dear God, it soothes us to know that we will never have to walk into a shadow, either as a person or as a society, where you will not be standing. Stand where we need you. Lead where we must go. And forever, we pray, keep watch over us. 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 10th century Germany.

 

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, July 21, 2016

“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.” 
― Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, 1986 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and author who fought for peace, human rights and simple human decency, died July 2 in New York at the age of 87.
And because of that, tonight I must write very personally.

This is my heritage. Not only did many of my family die in the Holocaust, but this is my heritage: my awareness that anywhere, everywhere, there is the possibility that friend could turn on friend, neighbor on neighbor, colleague on colleague. That fear could feed on fear, hatred on hatred, tormentor on victim. That good people everywhere could disbelieve, and turn aside, and protect their own – until a maelstrom of evil has wrought unspeakable horror.

And this too is my heritage: the commitment embodied by Elie Wiesel to never forget the Holocaust – and to turn that memory into making sure it never happens again. Not to the Jews, not to Nicaragua’s Miskito Indians, Argentina’s “disappeared”, Cambodian refugees, the Kurds, South African apartheid victims, not to famine victims in Africa – to name just a few of the oppressed for whom he advocated – not to anyone.

It is that commitment that fueled my prayers when I started World in Prayer 15 years ago.
It is that commitment that fuels my prayers today, as I invite you to join me in praying for:

  • Growing evidence, including research released this past week by Duke University Medical Center (U.S.), that trauma not only affects those who experience it, but changes the genes of their descendants.
  • The attempted military coup in Turkey, and the Turkish government’s  “cleansing” countermeasures that have affected more than 50,000 people — judges, civil servants, military, police and others – and most recently included banning travel by all academics.
  • The death this week of 90-year-old Abdul Sattar Edhi, founder and lifelong leader of a vast public welfare organization in Pakistan, that provided birth to death care to millions through hospitals, homeless shelters, rehab centers, orphanages and ambulances.  No one who needed services was ever turned away, regardless of creed, cast, sect or ability to pay.  
  • People in the United Kingdom, where there has been a wave of racist and xenophobic incidents, who have taken to wearing safety pins as a symbol of solidarity with immigrants, a symbol that the wearer is a “safe” person for immigrants to be around.
  • Israel, which opened a major crossing point between Israel and Gaza this week to allow the transfer of vehicles carrying goods–for the first time in nine years.
  • A group of Black Lives Matters activists in the United States that chose to hold a barbecue with police, instead of holding a protest demonstration
  • The 2016 World AIDS conference, held in Durban, South Africa, and described by a friend as the “swirl, conversation, discovery, protest, new networking etc. of 18,000 HIV/AIDS workers from the global effort to stop the epidemic. Commitment, imagination, love, significant, engaged conflicts and disagreement… It’s huge good news and testament to human spirit, resourcefulness and goodwill.”
  • Zimbabwe, where the war veterans association, which has played a key and sometimes violent role in supporting the now 90-year-old President Robert Mugabe, has released a statement withdrawing its backing for him, and accusing him of dictatorial tendencies, egocentrism and misrule.
  • Researchers from Ethiopia and Sweden who jointly discovered that the odor of a live chicken – yes, a chicken! – “significantly reduced” the number of mosquitoes near sleeping test subjects, which may lead to a completely different approach to preventing malaria.
  • Those in every nation who espouse hatred, violence, oppression; the lone-wolf attackers; the militantly self-righteous and power hungry; the xenophobics; the fear-mongerers and the fearful – all the people we would rather get rid of, than view with sympathy.
  • Today’s young people everywhere, making choices as to who they will be, how they will live, how deeply they dare love the world and everyone in it.

That commitment fuels my prayers every time I celebrate the Eucharist, remembering, in the Christian tradition, that God so loved the world, that he sent his son to live and die among us. Giving thanks, each time I celebrate the Eucharist, for Jesus Christ, for the Elie Wiesels and the Abdul Sattar Edhis, and for so many people of so many faiths who in their own traditions know and embody and teach the ever-living love of God.

“We tell these stories because perhaps we know that not to listen, not to want to know, would lead you to indifference, and indifference is never an answer. Whoever hates, hates everybody. Whoever kills, kills more than his victims.” – Elie Wiesel

Let us pray:

God, make us story-tellers and memory bearers.
Where there is evil, let us speak out.
Where there is pain, let us heal.
Where there is indifference, give us strength to care.
Where we are divided, draw us together.
Wherever we are, whoever we are, let us love.

–Andee Zetterbaum, founder, World in Prayer

 

 

 

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, June 23, 2016

Violent protests, burning and looting in Pretoria, South Africa, over mayoral election…

Foreign supporters of ISIS have taken over Sirte, Libya, murdering, torturing, crucifying Muslims and Christians…

Russian fighters are dropping cluster bombs in Syria, indiscriminately endangering and killing civilians and children as well as fighters…

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Violence and hatred is being stirred up in elections and referendum debates in the USA¸ the UK, and so many countries around the world…

Singers are being targeted and killed in Pakistan, Canada, and the USA…

Rape, as ever, is being used against women and children in Australia, South Korea, India, and too many other countries to mention…

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

The Australian government has passed a law preventing medical personnel caring for refugee immigrants imprisoned on Nauru from discussing or disclosing the physical and mental problems they are encountering even among children. Inhumane conditions and procedures are routine including removal of medicine and medical equipment from the refugees.

But there are peace talks between FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army) and the Colombian government after more than 50 years of brutal civil war.

We celebrate the courage and determination being shown by primarily Democratic members of the House of Representatives in the United States demanding the chance to vote on legislation for increased gun control. The horror of the lives lost needlessly through the ready access to guns massively outweighs any deaths from terrorism. Lord, help us to realize that lives are more important than weapons. May justice and peace prevail over self-interest and self-absorption in the pseudo-machismo so often associated with powerful weapons. Teach us to be men and women as you envisage and created us to be, without the need for force and fear perpetrated on others often innocent or vulnerable.

Lord, may justice and peace and right living in harmony with one another become not merely a wish but a reality, now.

In the UK people are being urged and inspired to reject hate and work together for a better community, building on what unites rather than divides us thereby providing a legacy of the murdered M.P. Jo Cox.

We give thanks for the generous giving of over a £1.5 million (approx..$2 million USD) in memory of Jo Cox to help those lonely and marginalized in the UK, Syria, and to provide humanitarian aid which will change lives.

Lord, bless and magnify this life-giving expression of love and care and all such efforts wherever they exist.

My heart breaks when I read and see the news and sometimes I can’t bear it and howl from the depths of my being in pain, anger, and disbelief at what we humans can do to each other.

Open our eyes Lord, open our ears so that we hear not just with our physical sense but from all that you have given us, to the cries and pleas of our brothers and sisters. Shake us from our blind complacency that what is convenient and cheap for us often comes at extremely high cost to others working for pence in conditions that would never be tolerated in our own countries.

Remind us that we are all inextricably bound to one another wherever we live on this planet – when crops cannot accommodate the changes in temperatures and oceans continue to be polluted and ravished for whatever we think would make our lives or tables more comfortable.

Lord, open our eyes to our sinfulness – all that separates us from you and your heart and will.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We give thanks for the peacemakers, whether it is on the big scale like Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, or all those working quietly in their own communities on small projects to bring disparate and hostile and often fearful groups together. We give thanks for imaginative projects like the Israel Clown School bringing together Jewish and Muslim youngsters. Help us to think outside the box, so that peace, justice, love, and hope can reign on earth as it is in heaven.

As we go forward into another week, O God, we cast our cares, sorrows, concerns, joys, and thanksgiving at your feet. You are our rock and our deliverer; our shield, and resting place; the light which shines on and in our darkness. Remind us, as Michael Stancliffe expressed so simply, yet profoundly, in Symbols and Dances, “…before speaking, there must be silence, and that what we say and how we say it, will come out of what we have learned in silence, about God, about ourselves, and about those whom we are trying to help.”

God of all, creator, redeemer, provoking, and empowering Holy Spirit, you invite each one of us to discover our own meaning and reality in you when you say: “I am the Way. Walk me. / I am the Truth. Sing me. / I am the Life. Live me.”

AMEN.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thurs., March 31, 2016

Lord, in the strength of grace
With a glad heart and free … Charles Wesley

Today, in the grace of being Easter people, we pray for those who are supported by your grace alone in the turmoil and oppression of war, terror, famine, drought, prejudice, bigotry.

We pray for all in Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba. On Wednesday, a US official said that the Pentagon plans to transfer about a dozen (of the remaining 91)  inmates to at least two countries.
We, Easter people, pray.

We pray for members of Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli, defying threats by rival factions that it was not welcome in the capital, which effectively means that Libya has three governments.
We, Easter people, pray.

We pray for Pakistan’s Christian community following the Easter bombing in Lahore. The government is reported to have no plans to amend the country’s blasphemy law, after protests in Islamabad supported it.
We, Easter people, pray.

We pray for the more than 10,000 Afghan interpreters who have never received the promised visas for safe passage to the US when their jobs were complete.
We, Easter people, pray.

We pray for the people of Myanmar, where a new president has been sworn in, while fighting continues in the northern Shan province and perhaps as many as 50% of the rural population are landless.
We, Easter people, pray.

We pray for the people of Palestine who have once again marked Land Day on 30th March – the anniversary of the Israeli expropriation of land in 1976.
We, Easter people, pray.

We pray for the people in the steel working areas of Wales and England, in need of a government who will protect them.
We, Easter people, pray.

We pray … Lord, there is too much to hold in our minds … those killed and injured in a bridge collapse in Calcutta, India … those caught by tornadoes in Oklahoma, US …  workers endangered building stadiums in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in Qatar …  Japanese whaling … You, Lord, take all our concerns and hold and answer them.

As we live in the grace of being Easter people, knowing we are saved and cherished, we pray for more than we can know – for your whole world.
Amen