Ever-creating God, Your glory fills the skies, from the transient sparkle of the fleeting meteor to the unexpected spectacle of Comet Neowise; your glory fills the earth from mountain height to ocean depth. We praise you.
As difficult as it is to find words to express how much your glory thrills and excites us it is even more difficult to turn and face the problems of humanity.
We pray for the war-torn, hungry and pandemic hit country of Yemen; we can barely remember how this situation came about and cannot understand how it is allowed to continue.
We pray for East Africa countries into the Horn of Africa and India and Pakistan as huge locust swarms move across the land. May our desire to act against their destructive force be planned sensibly, taking into account the needs of other wildlife so that the regions’ bio-diversity can be maintained.
We pray for the areas affected by earthquake this week, notably the Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States, with the possibilities of tsunami and repeated aftershocks. We pray for the countries of Bangladesh, Nepal and eastern states of India hit by the worst monsoon flooding for many years. Reports that rare one-horned rhinos have drowned seem to news agencies worse than the many human deaths.
So many disasters, Lord, when our instinct to rush to aid those affected are impeded by multi-national lockdowns and closed borders. As Australia, Hong Kong and China re-impose restrictions of movement, we give thanks that research for treatments and vaccines progresses.
Life continues, and for those who have planned new jobs, or moving homes, we pray it goes smoothly. For those forced into unplanned life changes by war, politically-caused famine, and environmental disasters, we pray they may find safe, secure refuges of warmth, shelter, food, and drink. We pray for all known to us suddenly overtaken by an unwanted trauma.
And finally, we pray for ourselves. As we self-isolate, mourn, or rejoice and party, Lord, you know our lives and we place them in your safe and secure hands knowing that our names are engraved upon your palms. (Is 49:16) Amen.
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