God of peace, we gather as a community of seekers from every corner of the world during this annual United Nations Disarmament Week. Our world is threatened by nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and small arms.
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For the Ukrainians threatened by the nuclear saber rattling of Russian leadership;
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For the conversion of the minds and hearts of North Korean leaders, who have fired 43 ballistic missiles this year, in clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions;
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For the conversion of the minds and hearts of United States leaders, who are committed to an exorbitant 30 year, $1.7 trillion modernization of the country’s nuclear arsenal;
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For Palestinians in the West Bank, who have been killed by military strikes at a higher rate this year than any year since 2006;
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For infirm military veterans struggling today, years, if not decades, after exposure to poisonous warfare materials;
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For the recovery of the air, water, and soil that has been deadly polluted by rudiments of the instruments of war;
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For peacemakers, whose policy making, negotiating, researching, demonstrating, proclaiming, writing, and medical service work to offset the dangers of modern weapons of war.
God of peace, we pray that you would inspire us to create a peaceful world. Help us call our leaders to accountability and to remind them that more weapons and war do not bring peace. Give all of us the courage to reach out to those we deem different, even threatening, and build relationships around our common interests. Make us a more peaceful people in a more peaceful world. AMEN.
(The closing prayer above was composed by James McGinnis for his book Praying for Peace Around the Globe.)
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