World in Prayer- Thursday, 23 March 2023

“There’s a wideness in God’s mercy like the wideness of the sea”… so goes the old hymn. And we, your created ones, created to be co-creators with you, cling to this truth, Gracious One, often as a way of letting ourselves off the hook for our failure to do those things to which you call us. And so…

We confess our failure to care for this created world…

• as human-made climate change, overconsumption, and pollution are creating a global water crisis, as reported by the United Nations
• as parts of England are facing the risk of drought after the driest February in 30 years
• as unusual and unexplained marine activity on the East Coast of the United States has resulted in the recent deaths of 8 dolphins, after washing ashore
• as we are forced to acknowledge the truth that 7 out of the 10 most water-stressed nations are located in the Middle East and North Africa, home to so many of the world’s poorest peoples

We confess our failure to live responsibly, and so we pray:

Lord, widen your mercy and forgive us.

 We confess our failure to hold our governments- both national and local- responsible for their lack of concern for the peoples in their care…

• as the French people protest the raising of the retirement age
• as necessary workers in the Los Angeles (U.S.) school district strike over their need for a living wage
• as the government in Uganda has passed a bill calling for life in prison for anyone acknowledging they are gay, as well as requiring family and friends to report this, under threat of their own imprisonment
• as the death of Irvo Otieno while in police custody at Central State Hospital in Virginia (U.S.) is bringing to the forefront the desperate lack of adequate care for the mentally ill
• as the war in Ukraine continues, with countless deaths on both sides and no end in sight

We confess our failure to hold our governments responsible by our apathy and our failure to exercise the power we do have to vote, and so we pray:

Lord, widen your mercy and forgive us.

Even as we have days and week and months of discouragement, even as our hearts ache and break over and over and over again, our tear-filled eyes search for signs of hope as spring begins in the Northern hemisphere, and so we rejoice…

• as courageous women in India, tired of the misogynistic treatment they often receive in the form of sexual harassment in crowded public places, are daring to use simple safety pins as weapons to confront their attackers
• as Muslims throughout the world have begun Ramadan, the holiest month on their calendar
• as this week commemorates World Water Day to create an awareness of and appreciation for this most essential of resources
• as Afraa, Syria’s earthquake “miracle baby”, turns 40 days of age, traditionally a time of celebration for mother and baby in Syria. Though she lost her entire immediate family, she is living with and being cared for by her aunt, uncle, and cousins

We rejoice in these wonders and draw hope from them, Gracious God, and so we pray:

God of all, you shower us with mercy and blessings beyond all imagining. Keep us ever mindful of our place in this world, of our responsibility to live with care, of our responsibility to take seriously your call to be co-creators with you, to respect and preserve and care for all life you have so graciously created.

Gracious Lord, the wideness of your mercy includes us all, and for this we give you thanks and praise.

Amen and amen