World in Prayer

World News in Prayer – Thursday 18 April 2019

Holy One,

As Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France burned this week, so many millions of us were bound together in heartbreak. As Notre Dame emerged damaged but not fully destroyed, so many millions were bound together in hope. As we consider Paris and Notre Dame, we pray for fulfilling and fruitful work of healing and rebuilding; we pray that this rebuilding might continue to draw us all together in a community of care.

We realize that such unity is how you hold the world at every moment. You gaze upon us with such sorrow when we destroy the world that you created. You gaze upon us with such delight when we work to save and strengthen the kin-dom you promise. You hold us all in your embrace. We seek to be united as we were this week – but rather than united by bonds of horror-filled helplessness, we pray that we might be united by bonds of awestruck, peaceful rejoicing. Teach us how to care for this world that you loved so deeply that you died for it.

Lord, hear us and answer our prayer.

Teach us how to love this world through the bleakness of Holy Week and into the earth-shaking radiance of Easter morning.

Lord, hear us and answer our prayer.

As we read the Easter story, teach us how to care for women who are not believed when they tell their stories; for men who hide their fear and despair in order not to be seen as “weak”; for authorities who make decisions that send unseen ripple effects through the generations.

Lord, hear us and answer our prayer.

As we consider this world that you love, teach us how to care for those grieving after the bus accident in Madeira, Portugal for those affected by rockets in Tripoli, Libya; for those protesting in Khartoum, Sudan after political unrest; for those caught up in tension over the upcoming election in Ukraine; for those living with economic crisis in Venezuela, for those living with widespread violence in Yemen.

Lord, hear us and answer our prayer.

And this week particularly, teach us how to care for other sacred places under threat – for the 3 historic and historically black churches that were burned by a terrorist in Louisiana, USA; for the Al-Aqsa mosque that burned in Jerusalem, Israel; for synagogues after last fall’s mass shooting in Pittsburgh, USA; for the religious lands of indigenous people across the globe, which have been sacrificed countless times across the years for new developments and pipelines.

Lord, hear us and answer our prayer.

This week we acknowledge that darkness is real and that death will make a stand.

Lord, hear us and know that in the midst of such darkness and conflict, we trust in your light, love and power.

Yet this week we also declare with prayers and shouts, instruments and song, that death shall not have the final word. You are doing a new thing, even when all seems lost.

We pray these things because you are alive and with us. Living Lord, unseal the tomb, roll away the stone, and reveal to us how you are transforming the world.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, April 11, 2019

God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” –Genesis 1:29-30 

What my grandparents did, we are doing now, not leaving footprints. You westerners must see what we are. We came to ask you to respect our culture. We came to ask you to come to our territory, if you respect us you will come. We do not want war as our ancestors did; we only want to be heard. We want peace, compassion and understanding. – Excerpt of Waorani women’s song in a courthouse in Ecuador to halt illegal oil drilling on their forested lands.

OH, God, our creator, you are listening to singing in this world. You hear crying and our pleas as well. You know our tears and feel our deep suffering.  We call for your mercy on the many horrors of war, famine, displacement, imprisonment and inequality.

The movement of the wind across dry lands that thirst also carries Spirit. Nourish and protect the people of North Korea where one-third of the rice paddies have dried up in a 100-year drought.  Give them hope. Call us to action in Puerto Rico where fresh water access is jeopardized and being rationed and in India where its population of 1.3 billion people will endure extreme water stress as ground water moisture is not being replenished. Awaken us to the drought in Sao Paulo, Brazil as people may be forced to flee, as de-forestation of the Amazon and long-term pollution of water leaves little to drink. Help us to discern a way through this global crisis. Help us to hear the words of our elders, teachers and wise-ones.

The movement of people where violence and economic deprivation require all manner of assistance. Holy Spirit dwell among the humanitarian partners receiving over 4.9 million people of which over 1 million are children as they are fleeing Venezuela coming to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago. We call for your mercies especially for unaccompanied children, for pregnant and nursing mothers. We pray that communities accept the foreigner, the stranger, the homeless and hungry.  May loving acts transcend policies of closed borders.

The flight of people from the floods from Cyclone Idai and the extreme damage it has wrought is overwhelming. Sustain those providing humanitarian aid for the hundreds of thousands of people in the port of Beira, Mozambique as contaminated water spreads cholera. Sustain the Ministry of Health as infrastructure is severely disrupted. Bring an end to suffering, calm the anxious, the lost, the grieving, those that feel all hope is gone.  Shelter the homeless of Zimbabwe and comfort the suffering of Malawi as the waters recede and the dead are grieved.

We pray for the Rohingya peoples fleeing Myanmar, many now forced by human trafficking cartels into cages in makeshift prisons in Malaysia and Thailand. Bring justice to these places and times, shield the suffering captives from further harm. We learn of the rapid rise in the building of prisons in China where over one million Muslims are thought to be imprisoned in the guise of re-education.  Oh how troubled and in need of your mercy are we as a global community.

Prayers this day and into the night are like the lights that come on at evening, as darkness descends around the world. Bright of day clarity shifts to soft silhouettes as we tire, help up us to set down our burdens and worries, to give them to your powerful ways.  May we remember to be grateful for what is and what is not, Oh, Lord, Father, Mother…Great One, Protector of all.

Help us to know you in our darkest nights and in the blinding glare of midday. We pray for the victims of genocide in Syria where 500,000 are dead and where the UN has documented evidence of mass killings and the targeting of Syrian children by its own government for brutal torture and slaughter.  We pray too for the people of Libya where dozens, including civilians have died and nearly two hundred wounded in recent days in rebel fighting in the capital Tripoli. So much anguish and misery, deep unendurable loss, and yet we find our way forward with prayers for reconciliation and peace. We honor the 800,000 dead remembering the violence of Rwanda twenty-five years later.  As nations stood by, terror and genocide born out of hate speech rolled over the land. We grieve in this world of sorrow. Teach us to love, to forgive. We call upon you, Oh Lord; to bless our mouths with words of kindness, give our hands energy for healing and tenderness.  Console the orphan and widowed. Bring wisdom to our leaders such that these atrocities do not happen.  Open our eyes to the cost of anger, fear and hatred.

In our grasping and avoiding of Your Will, remind us that indeed Your Work is to be done here on this earth as in the heavens. May we hear in this moment, in this Lenten season your eternal call to us to love as Christ loved us, as he taught us to turn the other cheek, to befriend the widow, visit the prisoner and cherish our children.  Awaken us to what it means to receive Living Water.  Deepen our will to serve and love one another. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 3 May 2018

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.  (African American spiritual)

O God, when our hearts are breaking, when our souls are wounded, to whom else shall we turn? Where else shall we bring our prayers, our concerns, our woundedness, our confusion, but to you? For you have the words of eternal life, those words of comfort and peace for which we long, even as tears for the hurts of this world course down our faces.

Together, we pray for the people of Armenia, Honduras, Libya, Malaysia, and Turkey, as unrest over elections continues, as the people yearn for justice and truth and integrity from their political leaders. And our hearts yearn with them.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Together, we pray for the victims of the two suicide bomb attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, along with the families of those killed including 8 journalists and photographer Shah Marai; for the victims of the blast at a mosque in northeast Nigeria which has killed more than 27, as the people yearn for hope and peace and safety. And our hearts yearn with them.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Together, we pray for those seeking the abatement of nuclear threats in Iran and North Korea, as people everywhere fear for the continued well-being of this planet and its inhabitants. And our hearts yearn with them.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Together, we pray that the supporters and opponents of DACA and immigration in the United States might come to some just agreement, even as those in the caravan of Central Americans seeking asylum long only to be seen as people of worth. And our hearts yearn with them.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

O God of all creation, you call us all your children and so, when our hearts are breaking, when our souls are wounded, we turn to you. We bring our prayers, our concerns, our woundedness, our confusion to you. For you have the words of eternal life, those words of comfort and peace for which we long. And so, guide our steps as we work for peace and justice. Guide our words as we speak out for what is right. Open our hearts to the truth of your love and acceptance and compassion, that we might be your presence in this world of ours. Let this be so. Amen.

World News this Week in Prayer – April 5, 2018

An Aftermath Prayer

(Luke 24:32-33)

Holy God, You defeated doubt and death on Easter morning. You turned the world of what is possible and impossible upside down. You gave us Resurrection.

Now comes the aftermath.

In the aftermath of many things in life we often fail to follow through with our joy, our intentions, our beliefs, our commitment. On that first Easter day some of Jesus’ followers struggled to believe. In the aftermath their tests were many.

God of Easter we count on You in all the days after, when Easter joy fades and circumstances challenge our faith.

In the aftermath of hurricanes across the Caribbean nations, the United States and it’s territories, help us not to forget the work of rebuilding and long recovery.

In the aftermath of refugees escaping Syria, Libya, Eritrea and Myanmar help us not to forget their need for peace and freedom from fear.

In the aftermath of families torn apart by immigration policies help us not to forget their love for each other and your love for the world.

In the aftermath of gun violence help us not to forget our stewardship of life.

In the aftermath of a martyrs assassination 50 years ago and as the tolling of the Clayborn Temple bell echos around the world help us not to forget that the work of freedom and justice calls us.

In the aftermath of misrule in Zimbabwe and Venezuela help us not to forget the yearnings of people to live free.

In the aftermath of religious persecution in China, North Korea and Pakistan help us not to forget the sacred in each worshipper.

In the aftermath of plant closings, wag discrimination, downsizing and outsourcing, help us not to forget that all work has dignity, that all workers need and deserve respect.

In the aftermath of atrocities and continuation of the horrendous civil wars in Sudan and Burkina Faso and Yemen help us not to forget the Prince of Peace who lives still.

In the aftermath of age-old enmity in the Balkans and in the Middle East help us not to forget the truth of Amazing Grace.

In the aftermath of this life, in this age, we pray that we experience your Emmaus-like presence and find our “hearts burning within us” (Luke 24:32-33), compelling us to declare “It is true. The Lord has risen.”

In our aftermath may we live the Good News. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, March 15, 2018

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art:
Thou my best thought both by day and by night,
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light. (Irish Traditional, Tune SLANE)

O Light of the World, we stumble around in the darkness of this world which confounds us and causes us to live in fear, and through tear-filled eyes we see the pain and struggle in this world:

  • the President of the Philippines, Duterte, withdrawing the country from the International Criminal Court rather than own up to injustices committed;
  • sex slavery rampant in Nigeria and Libya, with kidnappings of young women continuing regularly;
  • the recent plane crash in Nepal with at least 49 dead and many others injured;
  • Soviet-era nerve agents being used to strike down double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter in England, resulting in the ousting of 23 Soviet diplomats from the U.K.;
  • the extreme cold weather affecting the Eastern United States and the United Kingdom.

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my souls shelter, and thou my high tow’r.
Raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my power.

But you continue to shine light into the darkness, Holy One; you continue to speak in a voice both wise and true, and so we can lift our hearts and voices in gratitude and rejoicing for:

  • the life and work of Stephen Hawking, the incredible scientist who overcame great physical disability to come to symbolize the power of the human mind, as he sought to explain some of the most complicated questions of life;
  • the possibility of a summit between Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, with the hope for maintaining peace in East Asia;
  • the thousands of young people throughout the United States who, on the one-month anniversary of the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, organized a walk-out to raise awareness about gun violence and to hold their legislators accountable;
  • Viola Desmond, known as Canada’s Rosa Parks, becoming the first black person to appear on Canadian currency, announced on International Women’s Day;
  • the countless ordinary citizens who are choosing the difficult path of running for office in order to do justice, to love kindness, and to assure equality for all people.

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
Great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

Great God of heaven, open our hearts and minds and eyes to see this world and its peoples as you see us, always through the lens of Love, incarnated in Jesus the Christ and in us, your own beloved children.

Let this be so. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 7th November 2017

Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1-2, NRSV)

God of comfort, we live in a world that increasingly reveals its disconnection from you.  We feel the deepening of the artificial divisions of nation, race, and religion as the Supreme Court in the United States allows a ban to go into effect that will prevent refugees and families from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States.  Wars and the threat of new conflicts abound, and fears mount as countries like North Korea demonstrate their military might with ever-escalating missile tests.  We cry out to you in our exile and ask, ‘How long, O Lord?’  Bring to us the comfort that you have promised.  Be present with us in our pain and fear and worry.  Cause us to see your face in the faces of our neighbors both near and far.

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’  (Isaiah 40:3-5, NRSV)

God of glory, we long for the day of your revelation.  Your children around the world continue to suffer in places like Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Myanmar, and so many others.  The earth cries out for justice as natural resources are abused and protected lands are exposed, like in the United States’ Bears Ears National Monument, which is set to lose 85% of its acreage in a policy change.  The impact of pollution grows in places like Delhi, India, where toxic air quality levels have threatened the health of residents for weeks.  Guide us in preparing the way for your coming.  Give us hearts for service and wisdom to act with justice.

Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’ (Isaiah 40:9, NRSV)

God of hope, in this season of Advent, remind us of the glad tidings of great joy that come to us as a baby in a manger.  Open our eyes to the good news of Christ’s presence in our lives and in the lives of all people, especially those who suffer and are in need.  And give us hope in the glorious future of your coming kingdom, when your justice shall reign and your love shall transform the world.

See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep. (Isaiah 40:10-11, NRSV)

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, February 23, 2017

This week, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from 146 countries celebrated World Thinking Day.  Lord, we pray that all members of the various uniformed organisations will remember these years as time of enjoyment, friendship and enlightenment. We pray that their leaders will not abuse in any way the power and trust placed in them, but will lead thoughtfully and be worthy of the respect of their positions.

Lord, you taught us to pray;
Teach us to pray thoughtfully.  

With the breaking news that famine has been declared in South Sudan, the first such event in 6 years, we ask that aid will arrive quickly. We pray that the governments who rush to promise will deliver on their promises and ensure the aid is distributed thoughtfully, carefully, and freely to those who need it.

Lord, you taught us to pray;
Teach us to pray thoughtfully.  

A non-native species of caterpillar called the “fall armyworm” has been spreading rapidly and unchecked across southern Africa, facing no natural predators and destroying maize crops in countries like South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, where communities have already been suffering through two years of record droughts. We pray that scientists who seek ways to control the infestation will work thoughtfully and with consideration for possible effects on the ecosystem.

Lord, you taught us to pray;
Teach us to pray thoughtfully. 

Our global climates are becoming more extreme. Australia has suffered abnormally high temperatures, and this week the Gulf of Carpentaria was lashed by Cyclone Alfred. After years of increasingly severe drought, Bolivia has been battered by violent thunderstorms. Likewise, heavy storms and floods have repeatedly hit a drought-plagued California, U.S., forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. We pray that we can thoughtfully study and learn about our environment to repair the damage we have unwittingly done.

Lord, you taught us to pray;
Teach us to pray thoughtfully. 

With countries across Europe already preparing for elections this year, we pray for those most directly affected by political action: those affected by demonetisation in India prior to elections, those affected by the delay in announcing poll results in Ecuador, those facing deportation from the United States. We pray that political leaders would thoughtfully consider more than just the immediate results of their actions.

Lord, you taught us to pray;
Teach us to pray thoughtfully. 

Our world is filled with suffering and loss. A plane crashed into a shopping centre in Melbourne, Australia, killing the pilot and four tourists. Dozens more migrants have drowned off the coast of Libya this week. At least 19 people were killed in a coach bus accident in Argentina. We pray for those affected by these losses, and for those whose beloved friends and family members have died following trauma or illness. We pray for wisdom so that we can thoughtfully provide comfort and hope.

Lord, you taught us to pray;
Teach us to pray thoughtfully. 

In all situations of suffering, loss, or uncertainty, whether caused by natural disasters, accidents, or human malice, there are people – brave people, scared people – who must cope in such times. We pray for all of these people and for all emergency responders who thoughtfully and compassionately provide assistance in whatever situations arise.

Lord, you taught us to pray;
Teach us to pray thoughtfully.  Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thurs., Jan 26, 2017

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
– Jesus, spoken as he was being crucified (Luke 23:34)

For almost 17 years, World In Prayer has been posting prayers based on international news, trying to say and show that every human being, in every country, is beloved by God. Trying to find the words over and over again to care, to long for healing and peace. To offer up to God this planet, this world; from the its tiniest atoms to its greatest mountains; every plant, every creature, every person, every nation. To know, in some way beyond the deepest knowing, that prayer – our collective prayers – somehow matter, somehow become part of how God weaves the universe together.

Those of us who take turns writing the weekly prayers come from several countries on two continents. We try, in as much as is humanly possible, to see beyond the concerns of our own nations, and listen for the needs of the world. Yet I, who write tonight’s prayers, am an American. And in view of the horrors that have been unfolding in this country since the installation of our new president last Friday, today I can only pray through the lens of what’s been happening here.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

In my lifetime, step by incremental step, the U.S. has become increasingly committed to the civil rights of its citizens. We have guaranteed voting and educational rights and banned discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or sexual preference. We have enacted laws to make businesses accessible to the handicapped. We have prevented health insurance companies from refusing to cover those with pre-existing conditions, or setting lifetime coverage maximums.  We set limits on pollution, and abuse of consumers by mortgage lenders and other big businesses. We were starting to seriously talk about systemic racism and economic inequities. It wasn’t perfect (it could never be perfect), but when I look back over the past 50 years, wow, had we come a long way.

Yet in one short week, under the new administration, this has all been overturned or is under threat. The U.S. has unilaterally withdrawn from the Trans Pacific Partnership. The president has said that we will leave NATO and the United Nations, and made statements in favor of torture, and use of nuclear weapons. He has reneged on promised foreign aid, jeopardizing the health and survival of millions. He has ordered a wall to be built along our border with Mexico, and when the Mexican government refused to pay for it, has threatened a 20% tax on all goods imported from there. He has said the U.S. will no longer accept refugees, blocked travel to the U.S. from Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Iran, Libya and Sudan for at least the next 30 days (even for those who already have visas or family in the U.S.); has repeatedly talked about a registry for Muslims in this country; and promises to hire 10,000 more immigration officers to remove all illegal immigrants from the country. Consumer safeguards have been rescinded; plans for two hotly-contested oil pipelines (considered by many to be environmentally dangerous) have been sped up; environmental protections and commitments to work against climate change have been ended.  Ethics and conflict of interest concerns are being dismissed. Health care access has been cut back and an estimated 20-30 million may lose their health care as a result; education is under threat; federal agencies have been ordered not to release any scientific studies or speak to the press or public without prior approval from the administration; blatant lies and outright falsehoods are being touted as legitimate “alternative facts”.  Several states are following suit in proposing or passing legislation that is against the U.S. Constitution and prior Supreme Court rulings.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

For those in any country who put profits above persons,
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

For those who seek self-aggrandizement,
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

For those who deny science, education, knowledge,
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

For those who trample on the needs of the poor, the ill, the elderly, the disabled
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

For those who uphold nationalism against mutual humanity,
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

For those who perpetuate hatred,
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
They do not know the harm they cause.
They do not know the joy of compassion.

They do not know…
…that even within the damage they are wreaking,
the seeds of the Kingdom of God have been planted
and are growing strong.

They do not know…
…that the time will come when
The poor will be blessed,
and the grieving, comforted.
The meek shall inherit the earth,
and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.
The merciful will receive mercy,
and the peacemakers will be revered as children of God.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
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.